398 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



SATURDAY, JULY 10, 1824. 



From the Windsor (Vt.)-'o"''"^'- 

 HOEING CORN. 

 The following extract from an article published in 

 the New England Farmer, on the subject of hoeing 

 corn and potatoes, is so much at variance with what 

 appears to me to be the more rational theory, that I am 

 surprised the editor of that paper gave it currency 

 without a passing remark: — 



" Corn should be hoed the third time or hilled, just 

 before the tassels appear.— It should now be ploughed 

 deep, in order that much loose dirt may be left between 

 the rows, which will tend to prevent injury from 

 drought 



roots. The land, upon which Mr. Spurrier tried this I ploughing. Few, peibaps, are aware of the depths to 



experiment, was between a loam and a clay. Sands which the roots of plants will penetrate in a deeply 



and light lands will not require so many ploughings." loosened earth. A gentleman much inclined to agri- 



The Farmer's Guide says, " no crop while growing [ cultural inquiries and observations, informed me, near 



requires more attention than corn. To prevent it from 

 being stunted at the outset, it is advisable to apply 

 some stimulants to the plants when very young; 

 such as bog-dirt, ashes or gypsum, and this should be 

 repeated at the third hoeing. When the plants are 

 three or four inches high, the plough must pass in the 

 intervals, making two furrows in each, turned from 

 the rows ; the weeds killed and a little fresh earth 

 drawn about the plants with a hoe. In about half a 

 month afterwards, plough again, turning the earth to- 

 wards the rows, and draw up some more earth with a 



Now, it is suggested to my mind, that if the ground ^^^^ j^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ spindles give it the last 

 ^:eroTht^o^^^s1lo^^^d^L*''dltXd;furL;l:' Uu.hing and hoeing, in a manner similar to the last, 

 sible afterwards to a depth to affect tlie roots and fi- keeping the plough as far as possible from the hills. 



Avoid the harrow at weeding; it leaves the earth 

 close and heavy, and injures the crop." 



Mr. Curwen, a celebrated English Agriculturist, is 



bres, which are penetrating in every different direction. 

 A plough the first, and perhaps the second time of hoe- 

 in"-, may do little injury, but by no means should it be 

 used the last time, certainly not to any depth ; for 

 thereby the roots, which, at that age of the corn, 

 nearly fill the space between the rows, will be broken 

 and the corn receive a serious check in its growth by 

 the loss of nourishment which these supplied to the 

 stock. Nor do I consider it preventive of drought to 

 plough at all amongst the corn ; for if there be dan- 

 ger of suffering on this account, the more and deeper 

 the ground is stirred, the more the danger is augment- 

 ed. What 1 would recommend as the liest preserva- 

 tive from drought, is the use of houst ashes, after the 

 first or second hoeing, put in quantities of from half a 

 pint to a pint on each hill. From actual experience 

 and observation, I do not hesitate to recommend this, 

 as the best safeguard for corn of any thing yet dis- 

 covered. W. 



REMARKS BV THE EDITOR — We have republished 

 the foregoing article for the purpose of making some 

 comments on Mr. W.'s strictures. We think we shall 

 be able to show, that if our correspondent is in an er- 

 ror he has the sanction of high authority to .^apoloyie* 

 for, if not completely to justify his observations. 



Dr. Deane, in treating of the culture of 'Indian corn, 

 gave the following directions : 



""When the plants are about knee high, and before 

 they send out their panicles or spindles, give them the 

 third a vi last hoeing. The best way at this hoeing is 

 to ]ihiigh one farrow in an interval both ways. The 

 cultivator, with two mould boards, would be better for 

 this work, than the common horse plough, as it would 

 throw the mould equally towards each row, and save 

 labor in hand-hoeing," S:c. 



Mr. Cutler, the author of " The Farmer's Manual," 

 says, " at your third hoeing or hilling, strike a deep 

 /urrow fic/H'een Meroios, and haul up the earth to the 

 hills with a hoe ; but keep your plough as far from the 

 hills as possible, that you may avoid the extended fi- 

 bres of the roots, which if cut with the plough, would 

 injure your corn. Avoid the corn harrow at yourfirst 

 weeding, as is practiced by tome ; this leaves the land 

 close, or heavy aid dod between the rows and in- 

 jures your crop. Be sure that you finish hilling before 

 your crop begins to silk and tassel, (or blow out, and 

 set for the ears;) nature should then be left to herself 

 undisturbed, or your crop will be injured." 



The Domestic Encyclopedia, in giving an account of 

 the mode of cultivating Indian corn by Mr. Spurrier, 

 of Delaware, who had made many experiments in or- 

 der to find the most advantageous mode of tillin" this 

 plant observes that " the third ploughing" [after the 

 corn had been planted] " he did as the first, throwing 

 up the mould in the middle of the allfy. This is of 

 more use than a person would imagine, for it admits 

 the injluencts of the air a^d dews to penetrate to the 



of opinion that ploughing among green crops is pre- 

 ventive of drought," and perhaps his opinion in the 

 scale of authoiity will weigh as much as that of the 

 gentleman who takes the signature " W." as above. 

 Mr. Curwen maintains " that by constantly turn- 

 ing the vacancies between the roots or beds of green 

 crops, in every direction, he can in dry weather pro- 

 cure for the plants something like a compensation for 

 rair , in the evaporation of moisture from the earth." 



" A field of cabbages," continues Mr. Curwen, 

 "were this year set on a very strong stiff clay, which 

 previous to (heir being planted was in high tilth. — 

 The severe drought which succeeded the rains that 

 fell, soon after selling baked the ground perfectly hard. 

 The plants made little or no progress ; they were seen 

 by a friend of mine, on Monday the 26th of May, as I 

 i commencing the breaking of the ground wifh 

 the ploughs. On Saturday they were seen again by 

 the same gentleman, and he could scarcely be per- 

 suaded that they were the same plants. The week 

 had been very dry with a hot sun, and strong north 

 east winds."* 



Sir John Sinclair, in enumerating the advantages of 

 deep ploughing says, " Bringing up new mould is pe- 



fifty years ago, that seeing some men digging a well in 

 a hollow place, planted with Indian corn then at its 

 full growth, he stopped to examine how far its roots 

 haS descended, and he found them to tlie depth of 

 niiie feet. The soil was an accumulation of earth 

 which had run or been thrown into the hollow." 



If the roots of Indian corn can penetrate nine feet in 

 ajierpendicular direction they would no doubt, pervade 

 eiery part between the rows. But the third hoeing of 

 hilling should take place before the roots have spread 

 fjr from the hills ; and if this is accomplished " before 

 the tassels appear" we believe there will be but little 

 danger of injury to the roots. 



The mode of cultivating Indian corn, adopted by 

 Gen. Hull, and described in the Massachusetts Agri- 

 cultural Repository for June, 1823, may well be men- 

 titned here, not only as it corroborates our statements, 

 bu\ suggests a new and probably useful idea relating to 

 thi( branch of husbandry. Gen. Hull says that his 

 com " was ploughed and hoed three times, and at 

 each time of hoeing the furrows were filled up and the 

 grmnd left nearly level. The last ploughing and hoe- 

 inj was the 5th of July. 



" As the ground by deep ploughing and hoeing had 

 been rendered loose, I was of the opinion the hills 

 would receive more nourishment and stand stronger, 

 by the roots running under ground in the whole space 

 between the rows, than by drawing the rich earth 

 aroand the hills with the hoe, as is the usual custom. 

 Besides the dews, the light rains and the sun have a 

 much greater effect on the roots, when the earth is 

 banked up around the hill. And further when high 

 hiUs are made, the roots running horizontally will run 

 out9# the ground and perish. 



" Every thing which lias been anticipated with re- 

 spect to the manner in which the field of corn had 

 been planted and cultivated was realized. W hile oth- 

 er corn in the same enclosure and near it, was perish- 

 ing during the dry sfason, not a leaf in this field even 

 curled, and DO part of it, in the least degree, suffered 

 by the drought. The second week in October it was 



culi^rly favorable to clover, turnips, beans and pota- , harvested, and from this seven eighths of an acre, were 

 toes ; and indeed, without (bat advantage, these crops i measured one hundred and ninety-two bushels of ears 

 usually diminish in quantity, quality and value. — after the husks were taken off, equal to ninety-six 

 2. Deep ploughing is likewise of great consequence to I bushels of shelled corn. 1 he whole was sound, and 

 every species of plant, furnishing not only more means ' suitable to grind into meal, excepting three bushels of 



of nourishment to their roots, but above allby counteract- 

 ing the injurious consequences of eilher too wet or too 

 dry a season. This is a most important consideration, 

 for, if the season be wet, there is a greater depth of 

 ■=oil to absorb the moisture, so that the plants are not 

 likely to have tlieir roots immersed in water ; and in a 

 dry season it is still more useful, for in the lower part 

 of the cultivated soil, ther.e is a reservoir of moisture, 

 which is brought up to the roots by the evaporation, 

 ivbirli the heat of the sun occasions." 



There can be no doubt but that the leaving of 

 " much loose dirt between the rows" as our correspon- 

 dent has directed, would prove advantageous to the 

 iCorn plants. Col. Pickering, in an Address to the Essex 

 Agricultural Society, observes that " Nothing is more 

 ornmon in a dry summer, than the rolling of the leaves 

 f corn ; and that circumstance is often mentioned as 

 ^n evidence of the severity of (he drought. The roll- 

 ing of the leaves of Indian corn, is the consequnice in 

 ptirt of scant manuring, but still more of shallow 



Cunccn^s Hints on ^gricvlturul Subjects. 



ears. The value of this corn, including four bushels of 

 beans, raised by way of experiment, was $122,56 ; the 

 expense of cultivation was $57,25 — leading the nett 

 profits of seven eighths of an acre of Indian corn, $64,81. 



The Anniversary of .American Independence was ce- 

 lebrated in Boston with the usual festive social and li- 

 terary rites. Cannon were fired, processions formed, 

 orations delivered, feasts enjoyed, toasts uttered, joy- 

 beaming faces exhibited, every thing animate and many 

 things inanimate bore the impress o{ Frtedonx's J^'atal 

 Day. To give in detail the proceedings would re- 

 quire us to devote all our columns to that express pur- 

 pose and a brief sketch would convey no ideas ade- 

 quate to the joyous occasion. We must thcrefoit beg 

 leave to refer our readers to our political papers ; mere- 

 ly remarking that it appeared to us that every thing 

 was done which should have been done, and every 

 thing that was dene was well done, which was requi- 

 site to mark the day with which commenced the era 

 of our National Freedom. 



