THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



143 



winter's frosts and wind. The covering with 

 which nature has clothed it, as a protection from 

 the winter blasts, keeps it, I thinly, in a better state 

 for the summer's crop, than when it is exposed 

 by a fall (allowiiio:. If the land is stiff, and ia 

 plouglied in the (all, it requires another in the 

 spring, and is then almost sure to be ploughed 

 too wet; and I really think it a fallacy, in sup- 

 posing that decomposition ol the vegetable matter 

 turned under in the fall can take place in the 

 spring, before the return of warm weather. 



When, however, my ploughing is done, it is 

 done in the best way, with large ploughs, as I do 

 not design any thing that is turned under shall again 

 see light, until the three-horse ploughs a^re again 

 brought into operation for a fallow (or wheat. 

 The depth of my ploughing is regulated by the 

 depth of soil, as 1 never designedly turn up a 

 caput mortuum. 



If the land is any other than very light and 

 dry, we bed in fiiteen feet beds, so as to leave 

 three corn rows on a bed. As soon then as the 

 ploughing is finished, we put on the drags, and 

 dress the surlace as nicely as possible. The irround 

 id then laid off" in five feet rows, with a trowel 

 hoe plough, and the corn planted as soon after as 

 possible ; beginning as soon in April as we can. 

 We plant by a siring going across the rows, or 

 beds as may be. In common land we plant at 

 the distance of three feet the narrow way, in 

 pretty good land two leet, and in good land three 

 leet with two stalks to each hill. I think it decidedly 

 better to double or triple the stalks in the hill, than 

 crowd it too much the narrow way, as I think 

 corn, as well as all othi.'r grain-growing plants, re- 

 quires air, as much as sun, or rain. As soon as 

 the planting operation is finished, the drags go to 

 work again, so as to get over the crop by the time 

 it begins to come up. As soon as it is up, we put in 

 the single horse culti viators, (five teeth, square 

 cutting edge, and working square to the front, 

 about two or two and a half inches wide, fixed 

 echelon fashion in one beam, the horsi pulling 

 by the other,) generally I believe called the X 

 cultivator, (the only kind of all the varieties of 

 that plough I have ever seen worth a cent.) Then 

 we run as close to the corn as possible, going 

 three limes in a row, generally getting over twice 

 before the corn is high enough to take earih, say 

 knee high, or more. As soon as it is, we put in 

 the single-horse plough, lapping the earth on the 

 corn; we now put on the hoe hands, (having pre- 

 viously thinned as soon as it was large enough to 

 bear the operation,) and that the ploughs may be 

 enabled to keep way for the hoe hands, we now go 

 on with (bur furrows. The weeding, by the way. 

 is only a nominal thing to level the land, to 

 straighten any stalk of corn the ploughs or other 

 causes may have bent. As soon as we finish with 

 four (lirrows, we then go back and split open the 

 middles. This brings us to about the beginning 

 of harvest, when the cultivators are ayain put in, 

 and run to level down the beds, and to keep 

 down the young grass, and to keep the land al- 

 ways open for the receplioa of light, air, and mois- 

 ture, the great nourishers of vegetation. We go 

 over the crop with the cultivators after using the 

 plough once or twice before we finish, according 

 to the forwardness of the crop. We cease then 

 until the corn is in lull shoot and tassel. 



Tho practice of backing off the land from the 



young corn, as soon as it comes up, with large or 

 stnall ploughs, I think cannot be too much depre- 

 cated. It is, I know, the prevailing method of 

 cultivating corn in this section of the state ; and I 

 know, also, that very many good crops have been 

 made in that way. Corn is a very vigorous 

 plant, and with good cultivation, in good land, 

 work it as you may, will bring a good crop. But 

 still, I think the practice of backing off' the land 

 li-om the young corn a very bad one, as it evi- 

 dently gives us double the hoe work, exposes the 

 grass seed and roots to the light and air, which ve- 

 getaies them, and starts them all to growing, and 

 moreover brings up the vegetable matter just 

 turned in, it don't matter whether of fall or spring, 

 then to be exposed to the air to dry, and inierltjre 

 with the after cultivation the balance of the year, 

 instead of remaining under the earth, to decom- 

 j)ose, preserve moisture, and afford iood for the 

 growing plant. The great secret, if any there is, 

 in cultivating the corn crop, is always to keep the 

 surface stirred and clean, never suffering a crust to 

 form on the land, that thereby the roots of the plant 

 may have h'ee access to light, and air, and all the 

 moisture it can get, whether Irom rain or dews, and 

 (10 weeds or grass to fake from the growing crop. 

 To those who use cultivators, in the tillage of 

 the corn crop, 1 would advise them always to keep 

 ahead of the grass, as, if the grass gets ahead of 

 them, the cultivators will not subdue it. 



I have followed the above method of cultivating 

 the corn crop for some years, and have succeeded 

 very well with it, and liave neveF had a grassy 

 field since I commenced it. it saves time, much 

 hoe work, and I think makes the crop more sure. 

 Indeed I do not think it takes more than half the 

 labor of the ordinary method ; and to those who 

 sow small grain in the fall after corn it gives a 

 clean cornfield. If^ peradventure, this communica- 

 tion should fall under the eye o( any other than 

 one of the (amily of the " good-enoughs" I would 

 advise him to try it, provided always his land, &c., 

 suit. CoREiN Braxton. 



PAINTING HOUSES. 



From tlie Farmers' Cabinet. 



It has long been a subject of inquiry as to the 

 best time to apply paint to the clapboards of 

 houses for durability. Repealed experiments 

 have been made, within twenty-five years past, 

 which have resulted in the conviction, that paint 

 applied between November and March will 

 stand more than twice as long as that which is 

 spread in the warmest weather. The reason is 

 obvious ; for in cold weather the oil and the com- 

 ponent parts of the paint form a hard substance 

 on the surface of the clapboard, nearly as hard 

 as glass, and not easily erased or even cut with a 

 sharp knife, and will not soon wear off'; whereas 

 paints applied in the months of July and August, 

 and more especially if in a severe drought, the 

 oil immediately penetrates into the wood like wa- 

 ter into a sponjje, which leaves tlie lead nearly dry, 

 which will soon crumble off. 



