84 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



SKFT. 14, 1$43, 



fOI- 



THE KENTUCKY CORN CROP. 

 We copied, some months ago, an account of a 

 crop of corn raised by a Mr Young, of Kentucky, 

 which was stated to have averaged 195 bushels to 

 the acre. We expressed at the time our opinion 

 that the crop must have been measured in the cob, 

 but it appears by the following article, copied from 

 the Dollar Farmer, (a paper issued from the office 

 of the Louisville Journal,) that our opinion was er- 

 roneous : — 



Walter C. Young's Corn Crop. — We per- 

 ceive that some of t)ie Eastern editors, in speaking 

 of Mr Young's corn crop of 195 bushels to the acre, 

 say that they presume, of course, that it was not 

 shelled corn. When ive said that Mr Young pro- 

 duced 195 bushels of corn to the acre, we meant 

 corn. If it had been 195 bushels of corn and cobs, 

 it would not have been so extraordinary. Mr Geo. 

 W. Williams, of Bourbon county, Ky , liad previ- 

 ously produced 167 bushels to the acre; but Mr 

 Young's crop goes far beyond even that, and it was 

 precisely because it did so far transcend the high- 

 est recorded crop, that we deemed it of such vital 

 importance to make Mr Young's method known. 



That Mr Young did produce 195 bushels to the 

 acre, we feel just as certain as that we now hold a 

 pen in our hand. It was measured by as respecta- 

 ble gentlemen as any in Jessamine county — gentle- 

 men appointed for the purpose by the Jessamine 

 Agricultural Society. And let it be remembered 

 that this was no first experiment on a single acre. 

 The corn was planted and cultivated according to 

 the method long adopted by Mr Young, and his 

 whole crop was pronounced equal to the five acres 

 measured. This extraordinary crop was produced 

 in 1840, a year very favorable to corn ; but we are 

 told by Mr Young that in the dryest years he does 

 not get less than 100 bushels to the acre. 

 ^ Here then is not " book farming," but a method 

 of cultivation pradktd for years by a plain, practi- 

 cal, but intelligent farmer. Here then is actual 

 experience for a course of years, the very thing 

 the farmer says he must have before he can be con- 

 vinced. But, reader, are you convinced ? No. 

 You cannot get round the experience, provided it 

 was experience, and you will take a short way of 

 evading the matter by simply saying that you do n't 

 believe a word of the whole story. 



Strange as it may seem, these worthy farmers 

 that go so strong for fads and erperience, and who 

 yet deny all facts and all experience that do not 

 tally with their own notions — these very farmers 

 are fond of arguing, and like mightily to have the 

 reason or rationale of things explained ; and many 

 a one of tliem will yield to a theory who will not 

 listen to a fad. Well, then, let us look into the 

 theory of Mr Y.'s practice. Hear him : 



"My universal rule is, to plow my corn land the 

 fall preceding the spring when I plant ; and as 

 early in the spring as possible, I cross-plow as deep 

 as circumstances will permit ; and as soon as this 

 is done, I commence checking off — the first way 

 with my largo plows, and the second with my 

 small ones; the checks three feet by three, admit- 

 ting of working the land both ways.. And then I 

 plant my corn from the 20th to the 25th of March — 

 a rule to which 1 adhere with scrupulous exact- 

 ness; planting from eight to twelve grains in each 

 hill, covering the same from four to six inches deep, 

 greatly preferring the latter depth. So soon as 

 my corn is up of sufficient height, I start the large 

 harrow directly over the rows, allowing a horse to 



walk each side ; harrowing the way the corn was 

 planted; and on land prepared as above and har- 

 rowed as directed, the hoeing part will be so com- 

 pletely performed by this process, that it will sat- 

 isfy the most sceptical. Then, allowing the corn 

 thus harrowed, to remain a few days, I start my 

 small plows with the bar next the corn; and so 

 nicely will this be done, that when a row is thus 

 plowed, so completely will the intermediate spaces, 

 hills, fee, be lapped in by the loose earth, occa- 

 sinned by this system of close plowing, as to ren- 

 der any other work useless for a time. I thin to 

 four stalks upon a hill, never having to transplant, 

 the second plowing being performed with the 

 mould-board towards the rows of corn; and so 

 rapid has been the growth of the corn between the 

 first and second plowings, that this is performed 

 with ease; and when in this stage, I consider my 

 crop safe — my general rule being, never to plow 

 my corn more than four times, and harrow once. 

 My practice is, to put a field in corn two succes- 

 sive years, then grass it, and let it lie eight years — 

 a rule from which I never deviate. Now, I do not 

 pretend that the labor bestowed upon a sod-field to 

 put it in a state of thorough cultivation, does not 

 meet with a fair equivalent from one crop ; but I 

 presume no farmer will doubt when 1 say the se- 

 cond year's crop from sod land is better than the 

 first, with not more than one half the labor. The 

 best system of farming is to produce the greatest 

 amount of profit from the smallest amount of hibor." 



Now, what are the essentials of this method.^ 



First — Fertility of soil, kept up by his system of 

 manuring and grass, of which we shall not speak. 



Second — Early planting. In consequence of 

 this, the corn matures before the dry season com- 

 mences, and every farmer knows that plenty of 

 rain will make a good crop of corn in almost any 

 soil. They all know that the essential thing for 

 corn is rain, and that there is generally plenty of 

 rain till about the 1st of July. Mr Young might 

 plant his corn considerably later, and have it come 

 up as early, and grow oflT more rapidly, by soaking 

 it in a solution of saltpetre. Thus would the ef- 

 fect of frost and chilly mornings be in a degree 

 avoided, while wo feel confident from our own ex- 

 perience, all injury from the cut-worm would be 

 avoided. 



Third — Close planting. Every farmer must 

 know that, to produce the heaviest possible crop, a 

 certain number of stalks must be upon the ground. 

 It is often observed that the great sin of American 

 agriculture is too thin sowing. Grass is nearly al- 

 ways sowed too thin, and the same is true of small 

 grain. In England they sow four and five and 

 sometimes six bushels of oats to the acre ; in this 

 country generally not more than a bushel or a bush- 

 el and a half. Hence in England they yield three 

 or four limes as heavy as in this country ; while 

 in this country we never hear of an extraordinary 

 crop where less than three or four bushels to the 

 acre were sown. Now, we venture to affirm that 

 no very large corn crop was ever grown un- 

 less it was planted more than usually thick. In 

 the crop of George W. Williams, of Bourbon coun- 

 ty, Kentucky, the corn was planted in rows two 

 feet apart, with a stalk every foot in the rows. 

 This crop produced 1G7 bushels to the acre. But 

 there is another important advantage of close plant- 

 ing. The corn very soon becomes so dense that 

 the ground is shaded, and the growth of the grass 

 is prevented, and the moisture retained in the soil. 

 By this method of cultivation, no grass is ever al- 



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lowed to absorb the moisture from the earth, or I 

 take up the nutritious gases which ought to be a{ 

 propriated exclusively to the corn. 



Fourth — Deep planting. This probably ope 

 rates favorably by giving the roots a bedding wher 

 the soil is always moist. Another advantage ma 

 be that the roots are thus not so liable to be broke 

 by the plow in cultivation. But it must be herljIlS: 

 noted, that by Mr Young's method, the corn is ' lai 

 by' before the roots are so extended as to be liabh 

 to much injury from the plow. 



Fifth and last. — It will be observed that, by M 

 Young's method, the soil is kept very friable ani 

 loose, and that to a considerable depth. This ma; 

 bo considered the all-essential point in husbandry 

 One of the chief advantages of all manures is, et 

 to divide the soil as to make it that the atmosphere 

 from which plants derive their principal nutriment 

 may freely penetrate to the roots of the plants. It 

 such a loose soil, too, it is well known that much 

 less rain is requisite than in a stiff, cold, close soil. 

 For this reason, gravel, sand, or saw-dust is ofter 

 the best manure that can be put upon a stiff soil. 

 In the fall of the year, Mr Young turns down very 

 deep a thick. rooted sod of eight years standing. 

 The vegetable matter in the sod will obviously 

 keep the soil very loose for a year or two by me- 

 chanical division, as well as by the slow fermenta- 

 tion of this matter in the soil. But this is not all. 

 The soil is deeply broken up before planting; it 

 is harrowed thoroughly as soon as the corn comes 

 up, and then there is a rapid succession of plowing, 

 until the ground is shaded by the corn, and plow- 

 ing is no longer possible or necessary. No doubt 

 the plow is preferable to the hand-hoe or cultiva- 

 tor in the case of Mr Young; for it makes the soil 

 loose to a greater depth, and wo have already ex- 

 plained that, according to his method, the roots of 

 the corn are not exposed to injury from the plow. 



Having explained Mr Y.'s method, we must now 

 caution our readers that they must by no means 

 plant as close as he does, until they plant also as 

 early, and observe his other essential rules. In- 

 deed we do not desire all our readers to adopt his 

 method at once ; but we do desire that they may 

 understand that they cannot raise a hiri;e crop 

 without leaving a certain number of stalks on the 

 ground, nor without observing the other important 

 conditions of which we have spoken. 



Sleamiii'ir Bread. — Not steam for making bread, 

 good lady, hut steam for making old bread into 

 new. It is well known by every housewife, who 

 has a family, that in baking a large batch of bread, 

 some of the loaves will get dry and hard, before it 

 is all used. In the first place, fill your porridge- 

 pot about half full of water, and as quick as it boils 

 have some short sticks or rods to lay in across the 

 pot, close to the water; then put in your loaf, shut 

 down the cover, and let it remain about fifteen or 

 twenty minutes. However, you can try it with a 

 fork, and when it is done put it on the table ; and 

 if you don't say it is as good as new bread, if not 

 better, (and more wholesome withal,) then you may 

 set me down as a false prophet. L. Durand. 



Derby, Conn. [.Ilbany Cult. 



Corn soaked in ley, perseveringly used, has cured 

 the disease in swine called kidney-worm, in nume- 

 rous instances. A neighbor of ours succeeded with 

 it in a very bad case. If breeders would give 

 their hogs plenty of salt and brimstone, they would 

 rarely be troubled with diseases. — Dollar Farmer. 



