124 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



case, when it is mixed in the field, by harrowing ; and it is a 

 long time before it can become proper food for plants. He 

 who spreads his green manure on the surface, to be mixed with 

 the soil by the harrow, if he succeeds in covering the most of 

 it, generally leaves it in bunches, and in such a situation, that 

 it will not soon decompose. 



If we have warm, dry land to plant, we may plough under 

 half of the manure, and spread the remainder, after it has been 

 well composted. If the land is cold, I would recommend to 

 compost it, and spread one half of it, and put the other half in 

 the hill. 



The Proper Time for Planting. We should be governed 

 more by the state of the land, than day of the month. If the 

 land be warm and dry, we may plant the last week in April. 

 As a general rule, from the first day of May to the tenth, is the 

 best time to plant. 



The Best Kind of Cor?i to Plant. We have planted many 

 of the different varieties of corn, for a few years past, but have 

 found none that we like so well as that which we have raised 

 the longest. This, I think, is the case with most farmers ; 

 they succeed better with their old variety, than with new vari- 

 eties. Corn is not like the potato, in this respect. We some- 

 times get a new variety of potato, that does well for a few 

 years, and then fails. Not so with Indian corn. Like a true 

 friend, it improves iipon long acquaintance. At one time, the 

 Baden corn was highly recommended, as it would produce 

 many ears upon a stalk, but when planted as close as we plant- 

 ed, it produced no good ears. There can be no objection to 

 two good ears growing upon one stalk ; but, as a general thing, 

 if the nutriment which goes to support the husks and cob of 

 the extra ears, was to go into one good ear, it would be more 

 valuable than two poor ones. 



The twelve-rowed corn is thought highly of by some, but 

 with us, it does not yield so well as some of the eight-rowed 

 varieties, and the cob being large, it does not dry well. We 

 have sometimes planted a white eight-rowed kind, which 

 yields well, and is very hard and flinty ; but it falls down 

 much more than some other kinds, and it does not give so good 



