No. 11. 



Conductivg Rods. — Indian Corn. 



349 



Now, how easy would it be to prove the 

 cause of tlie diflerence between the lime- 

 stones of the two quarries above-mentioned, 

 and so nearly adjoining each other, had we 

 the means of analyzincj their composition ! 

 and would it not be wortli while to urge 

 upon the State Geologist to furnish us with 

 these, before other branches of the survey 

 are completed, if possible ; how fiir this 

 would be to trench upon his time and con- 

 venience I know not; but assuredly, the im- 

 portance of such a step, if it can be taken, 

 is almost incalculable to the agricultural in- 

 terest of the state and the community. But 

 until such analysis is made, I must be ex- 

 cused if I say, I believe the difference com- 

 plained of is occasioned solely by the mag- 

 nesia contained in the stone of the lime that 

 has been found injurious to our friends; and 

 that, for this reason, I shall from henceforth 

 prefer to go to tlie kiln whose lime falls the 

 easiest — the only criterion which I have at 

 present from whence to form a judgment — 

 for what I might require as a dressing to 

 my land — a dressing which, from past ex- 

 perience, I judge to be of almost incalc\ilable 

 value to crops of every description, if judi- 

 ciously applied, namely, on the grass lands 

 exclusively, as a heavy dressing. 



T. S. 



Chester County, May 25, 1840. 



For the Fanners' Cabinet. 



Conducting Rods. 



A disastrous fire, recently in our vicinity, 

 occasioned by lightning, has caused much 

 inquiry relative to the utility of conductors, 

 and the best method of putting them up. 

 The subject being one of great interest and 

 importance to our citizens generally, and 

 upon which there is a great diversity of 

 opinion, I thought it would not be amiss to 

 call the attention of some of the numerous 

 and intelligent correspondents of the Cabinet 

 to the subject, for the purpose of eliciting 

 their opinions, observations, and experience, 

 upon this interesting branch of science; and 

 to request that we may be informed through 

 the Cabinet, particularly, whether there have 

 been instances of buildings being struck 

 with lightning and destroyed, when guarded 

 by conductors; and if so, how were they 

 put up 1 what state were they in at the 

 time? and the kind and quality of the points 

 surmounting them! Also what distance 

 above the building should the rod extend — 

 what distance into the earth — how shou-ld it 

 be buried, with earth or some other substance 

 — what are the best kind of points — and 

 how larcre should a building be to require 

 more than one to protect it? or any other in- 



formation that is calculated to throw light 

 upon the question, and thereby oblige a num- 

 ber of inquirers. 



PUBLICOH. 



Chester County, May 25, 1340. 



Will our friend, Mr. Joshua Sharpless, 

 of Downingtown, furnish a statement of his 

 experience on this important subject. — Ed. 



For the Fanners' Cabinet. 



Read before the Agricultural Society, June 3, 1840. 



Indian Corn. 



Dear Sir, — I promised in my last letter to 

 give you my opinion as to the best method 

 of raising a profitable crop of corn, and from 

 the observation of forty-five years, having 

 been engaged in agricultural pursuits, 1 caa 

 truly say I believe the following to be the 

 most certain of any other that I have known 

 or heard of: 



In the first place — the field designed for 

 corn should be \\e\\. ploughed, harrowed, and 

 rolled, before it is marked out for planting. 

 Now, this is but seldom done. The farmer 

 thinks after the corn is planted, (and that 

 usually in a careless and slovenly manner,) 

 and when it appears above ground, it is then 

 time enough to pulverize and make mellow 

 the soil by ploughing and harrowing. But 

 should you visit his garden, probably you 

 might see the ground neatly prepared by the 

 spade and rake, and made of the finest 

 moulds; now, if this preparation is neces- 

 sary for the seeds to be there deposited, 

 surely it appears equally essential that the 

 plants of the field should have a like atten- 

 tion bestowed on them. Besides, the corn 

 is the largest of all our cultivated plants, 

 and, of course, requires more space to be 

 occupied by the roots. It is well known to 

 every observing farmer, that wherever the 

 ground is made fine and mellow, the roots 

 will extend themselves many feet from the 

 bill, and that to search out nourishment for 

 the parent stock. 



I, therefore, consider it highly essential 

 towards raising a good crop of corn, or any 

 other grain, that the ground should be tho- 

 roughly ploughed, harrowed, and rolled, and 

 made mellow before the seed is deposited 

 therein. 



In the next place — as to the cultivation of 

 the corn while growing. In my opinion, 

 one of the most egregious mistakes which 

 farmers usually commit when cultivating 

 their crop is, iri ploug/u'ni^ and uutrUing 

 amonir the cor7i duriiig the heat of (he day. 

 There can be no greater error than any stir- 

 ring of the earth about the roots of the plants 

 during the scorching rays of the sun; it 



