VO. IS. 



THE FARMERS CABINET. 



279 



grow, he replanted the sprouts, and to his 

 surprise they all grew. Next year a few 

 more were tried, tliey grew also. And now, 

 sir, when the sprouts are fit to set, they arc 

 taken otT without disturbing tlie potatoe, and 

 in the course of ten or twelve days, there is 

 a second crop of sprouts ready, after that a 

 tliird, often in time to plant for the crop. 



Darbt/, Pa. March 7, 1837. D. R. 



Prom the Farmers' Register. 

 TUc Proper Distances for Planting Corn. 



1 hold It to be an axiom, that any subscri- 

 ber to a usefijl and punctual periodical, who 

 does not contribute to its support, by paying 

 his subscription, and furnishing any useful 

 facts or tlieories of which he is in possession, 

 is worthy of any punishment which a jury of 

 editors would inflict. 



Not choosing to subject myself any long- 

 er to the penalty due to such an olfender, I 

 send you my subscription and my mite of 

 matter. The first will, I hope, justify you in 

 ])aying the post, whether the latter is worth 

 printing or not. 



In this world of fancies and Yankee no- 

 tions, each man has his hobby. Some ride 

 to the south, some glide swiftly on the bosom 

 of the smootii canal ; some fly through the air 

 in balloons; some rattle on a railroad, and I, 

 Mr. Editor, ride into my cornfield, and spec- 

 ulate on the value, while I am enraptured 

 by the beauty of that queen of plants. 



While all the world is agog for cotton, the 

 poor corn is neglected by all but those who 

 eat it. Let us turn our eyes to it, while I 

 give you the results of some experiments and 

 calculations on its culture. 



On the Eastern Shore of Virginia (that 

 most prosperous of all corn countries,) I am 

 told It is the habit of tiie planters to plant 

 their corn four feet each way — a single stalk 

 at a place. When I first commenced farming, 

 my impression was, that tiie most economi- 

 cal method of cultivating corn, all things con- 

 sidered, was to plan it so as to plough it 

 both ways, and thereby dispense with the 

 hoe-work. I tried it. Experience and rea- 

 son have changed my opinion. In 18:3.5, I 

 cultivated a light sandy field in corn, (much 

 such land as that on the Eastern Shore, but 

 not so good.) Part of it I planted 5 by 3, 

 and part (the best land) 4 by 4 feet— both 

 were ploughed both ways, and received the 

 same culture : the cut 4 by 4 was favored 

 •ather the rno.st, because it seemed to suffer. 

 The result was, the corn 4 by 4, suffered for 

 nstance, while that 5 by 3, had a plenty of 

 oom, and was a good crop. This set me to 

 hinking — and the result of my cogitations 

 rmountcd to the conclusion, that corn must 



have a plenty ofdiblance one way ; else why 

 was the corn 4 by 4 too thick, while that 5 

 by 3 had distance enough — when there were 

 more stalks on an acre of the latter, tlian on 

 one of the former — which reminds me, that 

 many persons, and they intelligent and edu- 

 cated fiirmers too, think — no, conclude with 

 out thinking — that because 4 and 4, and 5 

 and 3, and .'')i and 2A, 6 and 2, and so on 

 when severally added, make 8 — that, there- 

 fore, there are the same number of stalks on 

 an acre, planted in either way. 



This you know is not the fact — on the 

 contrary, the nuinber of stalks is inversely 

 as the inoduct of the two numbers. For 

 instance, the number of stalks on an acre 4 

 by 4, is to the number on an acre G by 2, as 

 12 is to IG. The reason is ihis — more land 

 can be contained in a square, than in any 

 other rectangular figure — consequently, there 

 are fewer squares in an acre, than there are 

 of any other rectangular figure — so, also, the 

 nearer these figures approach to a square, or 

 the farther they are removed from one, the 

 less, or the greater is their number.* 



This important consideration, together 

 witli the fact above stated, resolved me to 

 cultivate my corn this year on a different 

 plan. 



1 accordingly, planted it b^ feet one way, 

 and li to 2i feet the other, according to the 

 quality of the land. My corn was as good, 

 and better, worked in this way, and I cultiva- 

 ted it with little trouble. By using an X 

 wooden drag, twice in a row, about a week 

 after each ploughing — first, when the grass 

 begins to spring, you leave your land as level 

 and keep it as clean, as you can by cultiva- 

 ting it in any other way — hoe or no hoe. 

 Moreover, the greater tiie distance one way, 

 the less your corn will be ridged by plough- 

 ing; and, tlierefore, the more dirt you can 

 throw immediately around it without injury. 

 If I am wrong in any of my deductions, I 

 hope you, or some experienced corn planter, 

 will put me right: for, until experience or 

 reason changes my views, I will plant my 

 land G by 2, which, according to old style, 

 would be planted 4 by 4. There are i more 

 stalks on an acre of the former, than on one 

 of the latter. I contend the last is the thick- 

 est. In the mean time, 



1 am, yours, &c. 



SIX AND TWO. 



*Tlie proper and siiiiplo rule for comparing spaces, 

 ordisiance of iiiaiits, is to multiply the length and 

 breadtli tosetlier, and thus ascertain the number of 

 square feet given to each plant, or station, 'i'hus 4 by 

 4 feet, makes 16 square feet, and 6 by 2, 12 feet only. 

 Yet simple and obvious as is this truth, it is both true 

 and surprising, (as stated by your correspondent,) that 

 many old and experienced corn planters still comparo 

 the spaces, afforded by these and other different dis- 

 tances, by adding, instead of multiplying the length 

 and breadth tngpther-ED. 



