ox THE CORN CROP. 



From the proceedings of the New York State Agricultural So- 

 ciety. By .1. BuEL. 



There is no crop more beneficial to the Ameri- 

 can llirmer than Indian corn. An eminent agri- 

 culturist, the late John Taylor of Virginia, called 

 it the "meal, meadow, and manure," of the larm. 

 It is convertible into human Ibod in more Ibrms 

 tlian any other grain; its value iu fattening domes- 

 tic animals is not exceeded by any product of the 

 farui; and no crbp returns more to the soil than 

 tliis does in the ibrrn of manure. There are two 

 important requisites, liowever, to its profitable cul- 

 tivation. The first is, that the' soil be adapted to 

 its growth; and the second, that tlie crop be well 

 led and well tended: lor food and attention are as 

 important to the plant as to the animtd. Ordina- 

 rily spealiing, it costs less to take care of a good 

 crop of corn, on proper corn land, than it does of a 

 bad croj) on land not adapted to its culture. The 

 first is light and dry. The latter stilT, wet or 

 grassy. I put the average expense of cultivating 

 and securing an acre, at .^'15, (a} incluchng a fair 

 rent though it ordinarily exceeds this sum. The 

 farmer, therefore, wlio obtains thirty bushels from 

 tlie acre, estimating the grain at 50 cents per 

 bushel,: gets a fair compensation for his labor, and 

 tlie use of his land. Whatever the product falls 

 short of this is an absolute loss; and whatever it 

 may exceed it is net gain. Tlius the man who 

 gets but twenty bushels from the acre, loses upon 

 this estimate iij)29 worth of his labor, on ibur acres. 

 He who raises 80 bushels an acre, on the other 

 hand, realizes a net profit of $100 from four acres 

 — making a.ditlerence in tlie profits of the two 

 farmers, in the management of lour acres of corn, 

 oi^ one hundred and twenty dollars! Tliese data 

 are sufBciently accurate to show the importance of 

 tlie two requisites I have suggested, and the value 

 of a Httle calculation in the business of farming. 

 The habit of noting down the expense, as well as 

 the product of a crop, and thus ascertaining the 

 relative profit and loss, is highly advantageous to 

 the practical farmer, and one which cannot be too 

 strenuously inculcated. It will perhaps be said, 

 that I ought to add tlie value of the manure which 

 IS employed in the large crop; but I reply that I 

 ollset this against the increased forage which tliis 

 crop furnishes. Besides, by applying the manure 

 in the unfcrmented state in which it is generall)' 

 found in the spring, it will be as beneficial to the 

 succeding cro]js, as thouffh it had lain and fer- 



tility which it induces depends the profit of the 

 crop. Long or unfermented manure is to be pre- 

 ferred. It decomposes as the wants of the plant 

 require it; while its mechanical operation, in ren- 

 dering tlie soil light and porous, is beneficial to the 

 crop. It should be e(iually spread over the whole 

 surface, before it is jiloughed under. It then con- 

 tinues to afford fresh pasture to the roots till the 

 coi'n has matured, and is in its place to benefit the 

 succeeding crop. If put into the hill, the roots 

 soon extend beyond its hifluence, it does not so 

 readily decompose, and the subsequent crop is 

 prejudiced from its partial distribution in tlie soil, 

 in a rotation of four or five years, in which this 

 crop receives the manui'e, twenty-five or thirty or- 

 dinary loads may be appHed to one acre with 

 greater profit, than to two or three acres. Every 

 addition tells in the product; and there is scarcely 

 any danger of manuring too high for this favorite 

 crop. Gypsum is applied broadcast before the 

 last ploughing or harrowing, or strewed on the 

 hills atler hoeing. I pursued the fii'st method, at 

 the rate of a bushel to the acre, (d) 



The best preparation for a corn crop is a clover or 

 other grass la-y, or lea, well covered with a long 

 manure, recently spread, neatly ploughed, and 

 harrowed lengthwise of the furrow. A roller 

 may precede the harrow whh advantage. The 

 time of performing these operations depends upon 

 the texture of the soil, and the quality of the sod. 

 If the first is inclining to clcxy, or the latter tough, 

 or of long continuance, the ploughing may be per- 

 formed the preceding autumn; but where sand or 

 gravel greatly preponderate, or the sod is light and 

 tender, it is best performed in the spring, and as 

 near to the planting as convenient. The harrow" 

 at least should immediately precede planting. All 

 seeds do best when put into the fresh stirred mould- 

 Stiff lands are ameliorated and broken down by fall 

 ploughing; but light lands are rather prejudiced by 

 it. When corn is preceded by a. tilled crop, the 

 ground should be furrowed, and the seed deposited 

 in the bottoms of the furrows. Where there is a 

 sod, the rows should be superficially marked, and 

 the seed planted upon the surface. Where the 

 field is flat, or the sub-soil retentive of moisture, 

 the land should be laid in ridges, that the excess 

 of water v\fhich falls may pass off in the furrows. 

 The time of planting must vary in different dis- 

 tricts and in different seasons. The ground should 

 be sufficiently warmed by vernal heat to cause a 

 speedy germination. Natural vegetation affords 



mented in the yard, and been applied in the usual j the best guide. My rule has been to plant when 

 way in the autumn, (b) the apple'is bursting its blossom buds, Avhich hag 



The soils adapted to the culture of Indian corn, generally been between the 12th and 20th of JVIaj'. 

 are such as are permeable to heat, air fc) and Preparation of the seed. The enemies to be 

 the roots of the plant, a.nd embrace those denomi- combatted are the v.-ire Avorm, brown grub, birds 

 nated sandy, gravelly and loamy. Corn will not and squirrels. Of these, the first and two last prey 



succeed well on grounds that are stifl', hard or wet 

 The roots grow to as great a length as the stalks, 

 and the soil must be loose to permit their free ex- 

 tension. 



The manures u$ed are generally yard and stable 

 dung, and ])laster of pai-is, (sulphate of lime.^ 

 The first ought to be abundant; as upon the fer- 



VoL. II.— 9 



u])on the kernels, and against these tar ofters a 

 complete protection. I soak my seed 12 to 20 

 hours in hot water, in which is dissolved a few 

 ounces of crude saltpetre, and then add (say to 

 eight quails of seed) half a pint of tar, previously 

 warmed and ddijted with a quart of warm water. 

 The mass is well stirred, the corn taken out, and 



