234 



Poudrette en Indian Corn. 



Vol. XI. 



layer only from d and e ; but if b and c had not 

 been removed, then an additional layer 1 and 

 2 from them would have increased the thick- 

 ness in proportion to their amount of leaves. 

 After the first year's growth, we may occa- 

 sionally remove or shorten some of the 

 largest branches, — permitting young shoots 

 to grow, — about midsummer, or at any time 

 while full of leaves ; because then the de- 

 scending proper juice will soonest repair 

 the injury. The reason for removing some, 

 and permitting other shoots to grow, is ob- 

 vious. If removed before attaining to large 

 size, the injury to repair will be less and 

 sooner accomplished. After the trunk has 

 size and strength to sustain a good top with- 

 out growing crooked, at what height should 

 be the first branches'? When ploughing 

 and thorough cultivation are to be performed 

 (and in orchard culture they always should) 

 seven feet from the ground is quite low 

 enough. Some prefer eight or nine. There 

 is a difference, too, in the growth of trees. 

 The yellow Bellfleur and Smokehouse, both 

 well adapted to — and the latter originating 

 in — this State, require to be trimmed high. 



How long, some one asks, will it require 

 to do all this; and will not early bearing 

 be thereby retarded 1 There are trees in 

 this neighbourhood of eight years growth — 

 five from the nursery and three when pro- 

 cured — which are twelve and a half inches 

 in circumference one foot from the ground, 

 and nine at the first limb six and three-quar- 

 ter feet from the ground, perfectly straight, 

 which have never borne fruit it is true; but 

 is it not preferable to have trees grow rapid- 

 ly while young — which is always antagonis- 

 tic to the production of fruit buds — and form 

 fine large heads that will eventually bear a 

 greater quantity and finer fruit? After the 

 head is properly grown, large branches should 

 never be removed, and if properly attended 

 to annually, it will never be necessary. It 

 will facilitate reparation if some water-proof 

 composition be applied when branches are 

 removed. Tar and brickdust, (Thomas) gum 

 shellac dissolved in alcohol, (Downing) or 

 equal parts of lard, tallow and beeswax, 

 melted together and stirred while cooling, 

 will answer very well. J. K. E. 



Lancaster co., Feb. 22nd, 1847. 



From the Cultivalor. 

 Poudrette on Indian Corn. 



I SELECTED a part of my field, an acre of 

 ground, and manured one half of it in the 

 hill, with five bushels of poudrette, manu- 

 factured in Philadelphia. The rows and 

 hills were each four feet apart. The ground 

 selected was, as near as I could judge, of 



the same quality; if there was any differ- 

 ence, it was in favour of that part not ma- 

 nured. The soil was a light micaceous 

 loam, but quite thin, as you will see by the 

 yield. It came up finely; the corn on the 

 part that Was manured, grew vigorously, 

 keeping far ahead of the other, throughout 

 the season, and ripening at least one week 

 earlier. When harvested, the part that was 

 manured yielded thirty-three baskets of ears, 

 inaking sixteen bushels of shelled corn, and 

 the other half only seventeen baskets, or 

 eight bushels — leaving me eight bushels of 

 sound corn to pay for the poudrette. The 



Dr. and Cr. account would stand thus: 



8 bush, corn at 60 cts. per bush., is $4 80 

 Extra fodder — there was at least 

 double the quantity on this part 

 that there was on the other, 1 00 



Dr. To 5 bus. poudrette, 35 c. is 1 75 

 Spreading the same, 10 

 Husking, hauling and shel- 

 ling 8 bus. 3 c. 24 



$5 80 



2 09 



Gain by using this manure (per ^ acre) $3 71 



A part of the same field was manured in 

 the same manner with guano, and at the 

 same cost per acr«. One barrel of guano 

 was mixed with two of unlixiviated ashes, 

 and the same quantity of clear sand, and 

 spread on one and an half acres of ground. 

 This part neither grew so well, nor did it 

 yield so well as that along side of it, which 

 had been manured with poudrette. Although 

 we took great pains to sift and mix it tho- 

 roughly, yet many of the hills were killed, 

 and some so stunted that they did not reco- 

 ver throughout the season. 



One of my neighbours seeing what pou- 

 drette had done for me, for two years in suc- 

 cession, on my wheat crop, planted some two 

 or three acres, of as poor land as you could 

 find anywhere — in fact the soil had been en- 

 tirely washed away — with what we call 

 Canada corn, and manured it in the hill with 

 this manure; a part he left unmanured. On 

 the first part he had a fair crop; but upon 

 the other there was not enough, I had al- 

 most said, to pay him for his seed, certainly 

 not for his labour. 



What these manures may do, when used 

 upon soils of a more productive quality, I do 

 not know, but I am well assured, that when 

 used upon thin soils, this is a most valuable 

 manure ; and those of us in this neighbour- 

 hood, who have used it in this manner, firm- 

 ly believe that we receive the price of our 



