MAIZE. 



MAIZE. 



been flushed up in the autumn or winter, and 

 ihen lightly ploughed in. In the Northern and 

 Eastern States where the summers are short, a 

 liberal quantity of manure is generally required 

 to assist in forcing the crop to early maturity. 

 When not enough is at hand to afford a good 

 dressing broadcast, it is advisable to apply a 

 portion of short manure to each hill just before 

 planting. Ashes are an excellent manure for 

 Indian corn, and may be dropped upon the 

 hills in the proportion of a gill to a pint. It is 

 common to make a mixture of these with lime 

 and plaster. But there is no doubt that the 

 main benefit of the mixture proceeds from the 

 live ashes. Almost every kind of artificial ma- 

 nure may be advantageously applied to corn, 

 either in the hill or broadcast; and there is none 

 perhaps which acts so promptly upon the young 

 plants as the Poudrette manufactured in New 

 York and other cities, the basis of which fer- 

 tilizer is night-soil. A gill of this to the hill 

 furnishes a fair dressing, and pushes the young 

 corn forward with such rapidity as to place it 

 very soon beyond danger from the grub, cut- 

 worm, and other insect depredators, by which 

 the plants, especially those on light and ex- 

 hausted soils, suffer such destruction during 

 their feeble and tardy growth. As conducing 

 to the same end, soaking the seed for 24 or 36 

 hours in solutions of saltpetre, urine, the drain- 

 ings of the stables and cattle-yards, &c. &c., 

 have a very good tendency. To protect it from 

 the depredations of insects, birds, and vermin, 

 it is often coated with liquid tar, and subse- 

 quently rolled in ashes, plaster, lime, or salt- 

 petre, which last is considered one of the most 

 convenient, cheapest, and best of steeps. Strong 

 solutions of copperas, blue vitriol, and even 

 corrosive sublimate and arsenic, are sometimes 

 used for the same purpose which last, how- 

 ever, is only soluble in water by the addition of 

 potash, or some other alkali. " The enemies to 

 be combatted," says Buel, "are the wire-worm, 

 brown grub, birds, and squirrels. Of these, the 

 first and two last prey upon the kernels, and 

 against these tar offers a complete protection. I 

 soak my seed 12 to 20 hours in hot water, in 

 which is dissolved a few ounces of crude salt- 

 petre, and then add (say to 8 quarts of seed) half 

 a pint of tar, previously warmed and diluted, 

 with a quart of warm water. The mass is well 

 stirred, the corn taken out, and as much plas- 

 ter added as will adhere to the grain. This 

 impregnates and partially coats the seed with 

 the tar. The experience of years will warrant 

 me in confidently recommending this as a pro- 

 tection for the seed." 



Number of grains to the hill, and depth of plant- 

 ing. Where there is reason to apprehend 

 much mischief to the young plants from black- 

 birds, crows, vermin, and insects, it is always 

 best to drop from 4 to 7 grains to each hill, so 

 that some 2 or 3 may have a chance to escape. 

 An old quaint couplet lays down a pretty good j 

 (though not sufficiently liberal) rule upon this I 

 subject, when it recommends 5 grains 

 "One for the blackbird, and one for the crow, 

 One for the cut-worm, and two left to grow." 



The deficiency is always attempted to be made I 

 up by replanting other grain, but the product of I 

 this replant is too often feeble, and so late in 



maturing, as to be frequently injured by the 

 frost in autumn. A much better plan is to re- 

 plant with the surplus of other hills. But this 

 requires a damp and very favourable condition 

 of the weather. As to the proper depth of cover- 

 ing for the seed, much difference of opinion 

 exists ; some advocating shallow covering, that 

 is to say, from an inch to 2 or 2 inches, whilst 

 others recommend from 3 to 6, 8, and even 10 

 inches. All covering which exceeds 4 or 5 

 inches must, under ordinary circumstances, be 

 considered extravagant and detrimental. Those 

 in favour of deep covering say that although 

 the corn does not come up so soon, or appear 

 so forward, it makes a much better growth 

 later in the season ; sends its roots lower, and 

 of course is less affected by dry weather, 

 whilst the stalks stand much better against the 

 violence of storms, by which they are often 

 prostrated. They also urge as additional re- 

 commendations, that the crows and blackbirds 

 are unable to pull up the young shoots, so as 

 to get at the grain from which it springs, whilst 

 the cut-worm may sever the sprout in the com- 

 mon situation just beneath the surface, leaving 

 enough still below to push up and continue the 

 growth. See DRILL. 



It cannot be doubted, that where the mould 

 is of a light texture, moderately deep covering 

 answers best as a general rule. To cover 

 deep where the soil is a heavy clay loam, 

 would either cause the grain to rot, prevent it 

 from rising, or dispose it to come up twisted, 

 unless opportunely assisted by rain, to soften 

 the packed covering. 



Tillage. The corn once planted, its tender 

 blade pushes through the ground, usually in 

 about a week or ten days, and even sooner 

 when the grain has been previously soaked. 

 Although the field is generally left at rest until 

 the plants hav all fairly risen above ground 

 before the tillage of the crop commences, 

 some begin with the harrows even before the 

 com is up. The first objects to be effected are, 

 to keep the ground stirred and free from grass 

 and weeds. Where danger is apprehended 

 from worms, by which it is so frequently at- 

 tacked, many maintain that the tillage should 

 not commence very soon, so that some other 

 vegetation being allowed to start up, the young 

 corn will thus be in a measure spared; where- 

 as, if the ground is perfectly clean, the worms, 

 having nothing else to feed upon, will, of 

 course, destroy all the young corn. Instances 

 may occasionally occur where this practice 

 may prove advantageous, but as a general 

 rule, the young corn cannot be kept too clean, 

 or the ground about it too loose. 



The modes of tillage vary exceedingly, not 

 only with the variations in soil and climate, 

 but with the views of different persons in the 

 same locality. On stiff, clay soils, there is no 

 doubt that harrowing just before the proper 

 time for the corn to come up, favours this pro- 

 cess, by loosening the tenacious soil, especially 

 where a timely rain does not occur to soften 

 the earth. After the corn appears, the harrow 

 should be kept going until the ground is ren- 

 dered perfectly loose, hands following with 

 hoes or short rakes to clear the corn which 

 may be covered. Then comes the plough, 

 J n 2 749 



