78 KITCHEN-GARDENING. 



difficult to till; and should there be an excess of moisture in 

 the soil, in warm weather, the ground will bake, and thus pre- 

 vent crops of any kind attaining that great development which 

 is obtained when the soil is dry, and well supplied with vegeta- 

 ble mould. When red clover or peas are plowed under for 

 the purpose of renovating the soil, if Indian-corn be put in as 

 soon as practicable after the ground is ploughed, a heavy burden 

 of stalks will grow before frosts occur to injure their growth, 

 which also may be ploughed in, and thus furnish the barren land 

 with two dressings of green manure in a single season. 



Planted in hills. Sowed thick broadcast. Sowed thin broadcast. 

 PREPARATION OF SOIL AND SEEDING. 



The accompanying illustration will furnish the beginner in 

 this branch of agriculture with some correct notions concern- 

 ing the growth of Maize. The plants at the left hand repre- 

 sent a hill of Indian-corn, where the stalks grow tall, large, and 

 heavy, having large butts and joints, which cattle will not eat, 

 unless they are well cured and cut into short pieces. The 

 middle figure represents Maize as it appears when the grain 

 is sowed thick. The stalks are small and much more tender 

 than when the seed is sowed thin. The figure at the right hand 

 represents the appearance of Maize that was sowed moderately 

 thick. 



In order to produce a bountiful crop of Maize, plow under a 

 liberal dressing of barn-yard manure, always remembering to 

 break up the ground when it is just moist enough to crumble 

 easily. Heavy ground should not be broken up when the 



