Indian Corn. 



Vol. II. 



When the corn was husked, I then made a 

 3-e-selectien, taking only that which appeared 

 ■sound and fully ripe, having a regard to the 

 ■deepest and best color, as well as the size of 

 the cob. In the springy, before shelling the 

 •corn, I examined it again, and selected that 

 which was the best in all respects. In shel- 

 ving the corn, I omitted to take the irregular 

 kernels at both the large and small ends. I 

 have carefully followed this mode of select- 

 ing seed corn for twenty-two or twenty-three 

 years, and still continue to do so. When 1 

 first commenced, it was with a common kind 

 •of corn, for there was none other in this part 

 of the country. If any other person under- 

 took the same experiment, I did not hear of 

 it ; I do not believe others ever exercised the 

 patience to bring the experiment to the pres- 

 ent state of perfection. At first, I was trou- 

 bled to find stalks with even two good ears 

 on them, perhaps one good ear and one small 

 one, or one good ear and a " nubbin." It was 

 several years before I could discover much 

 benefit resulting from my efforts; however, 

 at length the quality and quantity began to 

 improve, and the improvement was then very 

 rapid. At present, I do not pretend to lay 

 up any seed without it comes from stalks 

 which bear, 4, i^, or 6 ears. I have seen 

 stalks bearing eight ears. One of my neigh- 

 bors informed me that he had a single stalk 

 with ten perfect ears on it, and that he in- 

 tended to send the same to the museum at 

 Baltimore. In addition to the number of ears, 

 and of course the great increase in quantity 

 unshelled, it may be mentioned that it yields 

 much more than common corn when shelled. 

 Some gentlemen, in whom I have full con- 

 fidence, informed me they shelled a barrel 

 (ten bushelsof ears)of my kind of corn, which 

 measured a little more than six bushels. The 

 common kind of corn will measure about five 

 bushels only. I believe I raise double, or 

 nearly so, to what I could with any other 

 corn! have ever seen. I generally plant the 

 ,corn about the first of May, and place the hills 

 five feet apart each way and have two stalks 

 in a hill. I can supply you with all the seed 

 you may need, and 1 suppose I have now in 

 my corn house fifty, and perhaps more stalks, 

 with the corn on them as it grew in the field, 

 and none with less than ybwr, and some six 

 or seven ears on them. I will with pleasure 

 send you some of the stalks, and also some 

 seed corn, if I can get an opportunity. 



Early last spring I let George Law, Esq., 

 of Baltimore city, have some of this seed 

 corn: he sent it to his friend in Illinois, with 

 instructions how to manage it. A few weeks 

 since, he informed me that the increase was 

 one hundred and twenty bushels on an acre ; 

 that there was no corn in Illinois like it, and 

 that it produced more fodder than any other 



kind. 1 have supplied many friends with seed 

 corn, but some of them have planted it with 

 other corn, and will, I fear, find it degene- 

 rate. 



I have lately been inquired of if this corn is 

 not /ttier than other kinds' It is rather e«r/ier; 

 certainly not later. Corn planted in moist 

 or wet soils, will not ripen so quick as that 

 which is planted on a dry soil. In the former, 

 there will be found more dampness in the cob, 

 although the kernel may appear equally ripe 

 in both. In the two last years, the wet sea- 

 sons have injured much corn that was too ear- 

 ly " lofted" or housed. 



I believe I have answered most of your en- 

 quiries. I hope I have not exaggerated — I 

 have no motive for doing so. 1 raise but little 

 corn to sell, as tobacco is my principal crop. 

 Should I fail to send you some seed this spring, 

 I will next summer gather some stalks with 

 the corn, fodder, and tassels, as they grow, 

 and send to you, that you may judge yourself 

 of the superiority of this over the common 

 kind of corn. Yours, «Sz,c. 



Thomas N. Baden. 



In order to form a proper estimate of the 

 exceeding utility of adopting the plan of Mr. 

 Baden, let us take a case— for instance, the 

 fine county of Chester in Pennsylvania, to 

 which we had reference before when speak- 

 ing of the quantity of Indian corn raised in 

 the United States. If instead of thirty bush- 

 els to an acre, (which was stated to be the 

 average crop, Chester county could produce 

 one hundred and twenty bushels to the acre, 

 the annual produce in this article alone, would 

 be four-fold ; and instead of exporting three 

 hundred and twenty thousand bushels, the 

 farmers of Chester county would send to 

 market one million two hundred and twenty- 

 eight thousand bushels annually! 



And if Chester County, in point of soil and 

 agriculturists, is a fair sample of our state, 

 and in the other counties there could be a 

 similar increase, there is scarcely a possibili- 

 ty of calculating the immense advantages 

 that might thus be derived from the careful 

 cultivation of this single plant ! 



But the calculation does not stop here : if 

 Mr. 'BB.AerCs principles be correct, they apply 

 to all other grains as well as they do to In- 

 dian corn, which might by care and attention 

 be made to double, treble, and quadruple their 

 present crops! Is it not worth while to try 

 the experiment upon other grains'! And will 

 not the intelligent farmers of our country fol- 

 low up the experiment of Mr. Baden upon our 

 favorite plant]* 



*The rows of grain found upon the cob in the 

 spike or ear of corn are always even. An anec- 

 dote is told of a negro slave belonging to Virgin- 

 ia, who, being at work shelling corn, inquired 



