FARMERS' REGISTER— MIXED CROPS. 



635 



for the corn crops, and for this one with long slight- 

 ly I'ermentcd, or nither decomposed manure, but 

 heavily. If I can get the vegetable substances 

 which principally enter into the coni|;oshion ol'my 

 manure heap, v>'ell saturated with the liquid pro- 

 duced by the animal excrement, and plenty of it 

 into the soil, well turned imder belore any evapo- 

 ration can take place, all with me is well — no af- 

 ter-cultivation of tluit crop brings it to the surface 

 during that season. Pursuing the same system, I 

 have each year one shift resting, after which year 

 of rest, this field, going through the following 

 course, has to work out my corn crop. During 

 that year nothing goes on this field — it is a posi- 

 tive rest: and from the quantity of vegetable 

 matter which grows on it, and which ultimately 

 goes into the soil, it is also a year of restoration. 



My corn field this year, 1834, was ploughed 

 deep in September 1833. and the mass of vege- 

 table matter then found on it well turned under, 

 and rye sown on and harrowed in — the harrow 

 going with the furrow — half a bushel of seed to 

 the acre. The rye gave me a fine bite for my 

 3"oung hogs, and sows with [ligs, and calves, and 

 a Cew milch cows, from the 15th of November to 

 the 15ih oi" February, when every thing was re- 

 moved from the field. On the first day of April 

 the rye vvas sufficiently rank, and was well turned 

 in; an honest manuring from my dung-stead hav- 

 ing been spread on it previously, and on which 

 also was put a decent coat of swamp mud — and 

 well turned under; which last operation, fioin the 

 ])revious management, was not hard to efiect. 



In spreading the manure at this period, the rank 

 rye was pressed down, and with a well construct- 

 ed barshare plough, was easily turned under as 

 deep as required. A coat of lime was now given, 

 and which was mixed with the soil by a short 

 wooden tooth harrow — the harrow going with the 

 furrow that turned under tlie manure, and which 

 prepared the field lor being laid off in straight 

 rows, at five feet by three, running th.e three feet 

 furrows first, just sufficiently deep to mark the 

 ground, and not disturb the manure — the five feet 

 furrow running with those that put under the ma- 

 nure, and as deep made with a half-shovel to 

 receive the seed. In dropping the seed, it was 

 done with care, so as to have the grains as nearly 

 as possible in a row; and with little care after 

 thinning, and permitting only the two best plants 

 out of the three dropped to stand, made the alter 

 jilough cultivation easy and conv^enient, the plough- 

 man being enabled, without danger, to run close 

 to the stalk, saving much hoe labor. Afier the 

 corn was planted, (indeed while planting) a fur- 

 row was run in the middle of the rows, into Avhich 

 over one-half of the field rice was dropped thick 

 in the drill, the other half retained for peas to be 

 drilled in the same way. The corn and rice were 

 covered with a small board, attached to a light 

 Scooter plough stock. On the first ploughing of 

 the corn, and which was equally a ploughing of 

 the rice, and the dressing that followed with the 

 hoe, the earth was slightly drawn on the three 

 feet intervals between the hills of corn, on two 

 sweet potato sets, the red or bunch (the latter 

 preferred on account of their having almost no 

 vine) drojjped and covered. In the hill of corn, 

 one pindar (pea nut or ground pea) was dropped, 

 and covered also. After drilling the balance of 

 the field, between the rows of corn, in peas, my 



planting was now finished. It will now be seen, 

 tha^ I had nearly two and a half feet to jilough in, 

 or rather stir the ground in, between the rows of 

 corn and rice, and corn and peas, one way of 

 the field. 



To i;re\'ent premature alarm to your readers, 

 permit me here to say, that iny security for suc- 

 cess in all those |)lantings, was the after mode of 

 managing the corn — and which, I think, com- 

 pletely exhibits the value of this mode of culti- 

 vating land. Here I will anticipate another dif- 

 ficulty with some, viz. the prodigious trouble and 

 labor I w;is at, in my manuring for this crop; by 

 assuring them, in time, that this manuring was to 

 serve three more years of heavy crops in my ro- 

 tation system, and for that purpose was found 

 ample. 



The ground was well tended — the potatoes 

 grew sufficiently until the corn was removed; the 

 rice also; the pindars and peas were at home. 

 The ground now easy to plough, or rather stir, 

 (for with me no turning up or over in the hot 

 blazing sun season) from previous management, 

 was stirred with small brisk walking mules, and 

 careful ploughers, bef()re each of whom, a pre- 

 mium for excellence of execvition was held up. 

 The hoe hands had the same inducement. The 

 mules were well taken care of, each one and his 

 driver being bound together by the strongest ties 

 of interest — every thing, as well as the ground, 

 was stimulated to struggle lor success. In tending, 

 the Scooter was the only plough used. 



As soon as the first two or three blades on the 

 corn seemed to invite the hand of economy to 

 gave, I went through the field and stripped and 

 brought them home, throwing them in bulk under 

 a large shed, turning twice over, and in a ibw 

 days packing away, sprinkling with salt while 

 stowing away. About the time that I ioimd the 

 balance of the blades inviting to a pulling, the 

 shuck on the corn assumed a yellow appearance, 

 and the corn itself had become pretty hard, and I 

 now prepared by one coup de main to "save all" — 

 and this I effected as follows. Four strong hands 

 cut the stalk at the ground, each talking two rovvs, 

 and laying down, evenly, as cut, (viz. the butts;) 

 on going through, they hung their knives in 

 the scabbard, each man gathering his two rows, 

 and placing in heaps along the centre row. About 

 as fast as this was eflected, a wagon with low 

 wheels, and long coupled, on 'svhich was a frame 

 fitted for the purpose, passing along, taking up the 

 corn, and laying it carefully on the butts together 

 each layer, and ]iassed to the barn lot, which 

 was well ploughed up, and where the corn was 

 put in shocks, shoving the butts into the soft 

 ground while stacking, spreading well at the bot- 

 tom, putting the stalks of about sixteen to twenty 

 hills to the shock — and let stand ten days to cure. 

 These small shocks, or stacks, were lied at the top 

 by a wisp of rye straw. This business, as also 

 the cutting, was not arrested by a moderate rain — 

 if any thing, from experience, the latter preferred. 



As soon as the field was thus cleared, 1 pro- 

 ceeded with the Scooter and hoe, and left it in 

 fine order, giving all a last dressing — after which, 

 all the remaining crops grew ofi' ra])idly. My 

 corn was admirable, say fifry-two bushels to the 

 acre. By the removal of the corn, the remaining 

 articles had full and fiiir ])lay, and as much room 

 as they rciiuired, on such land as they were now 



