2-2-2 



Cultivation of Coi-n, — Dialogue founded on fact. Yol.VH; 



For the Farme 



Cultivation of Corn.— Dialogue founded 

 on fact. 



so to lie until the harvesting of the com 



The crop would then stand on the centre c| 



five feet ridges or beds, with deep furrow j 



between thern, as last year; the order onl j 



C. — It is easy for persons who are not' being reversed — what was then they ~urrou\ 



engraved in the practice of Agriculture, to i being now the ridge. This plan would nc, 



direct those who are. in the most eligible ij prevent me from sowing turnips broadcas! 



mode of employing their labour. I wish j! on these ridges at the time of laying by th] 



they would be kind enough to tell us what corn, nor would it be attended by any ir.cor. 



crop we could raise that would be of ready 

 sale, and yield a living profit — just that — I, 

 for one, should be infinitely obliged. 



E. — That crop, I believe to be corn. 



C. — Yes: that is the crop for which there 

 is always sale, at a fair price, and one that 

 produces fodder for the support of stock and 

 the production of manure; but unfortunately, 

 there is a little item in the account, which 

 those who are ignorant of its cultivation, are 

 apt to overlook; it is only this, that corn can- 

 not be grown year after year, on the same 

 land. 



E. — What would be the result, if corn 

 were grown every year on the same land I 



C. — Simply, " a coming out of the lee tie 

 end of the horn." 



E. — And yet, I am willing to encounter 

 your ridicule, by proposing such a step. 



C. — Are you serious • 



E. — Never more so. 



C. — Well, then, say on. 



E. — I will, if you please, take your four 

 acre upper field, by way of illustrating my 

 plan, as that field was in corn the last year, 

 and cultivated by the plough ; by which the 

 soil was thrown into beds five feet wide, 

 with deep furrows between; the corn stand- 

 ing in the centre or middle of the bed. Are 

 you willing that I should commence opera- 

 tions ] 



C. — Most willing. 



E. — Well then, I will immediately throw 

 into these furrows the sides of the beds, by 

 which, considerable ridges will be formed 

 between them: these will lie, until the time 

 for planting, when I will split them by means 

 of a double plough, and in the furrows so 

 formed, place compost, prepared for the pur- 

 pose from bog-earth and stable manure, well 

 decomposed by frequent turning and mixing 

 durinar winter; then return the furrows, by 

 which the compost will be buried, and plant 

 the corn, throwing up the remainder of the 

 old beds at my leisure, by means of the 

 plough; which operation will leave a furrow 

 exactly where now is the crown of the ridge 

 — this operation forming my first working 

 of the corn. My second working would be, 

 merely to turn these beds back, by means of 

 the plough, going within one furrow of the 

 corn: and my third and last working would 

 throw these beds to the corn by the plough, 



venience, other than precluding the cn»| 

 working of the crop; a circumstance of n 

 importance, as I would plant the hills thre 

 feet apart only, in the rows, and clean thet 

 by means of the hand-hoe, a labour wit 

 which I would debit the crop. So soon a 

 the land is cleared in the autumn, I woul 

 turn the sides of the beds or ridges into th 

 furrows, so to lie and take the benefit of thi 

 winter frost, rain and snow; split them i 

 ( the spring; again manure with compost, 

 return them, and again plant the corn. An 

 this I would continue, if you please, for a 

 age to come. Thus, the land designed fo 

 the next year's crop, would be fallowed ani 

 effectually worked the present season ; an 

 every year the corn would receive a heav 

 dressing of composted manure, which woul 

 not, however, prevent me from top-dressinj 

 the hills with plaster, or sprinkling the sui 

 face of the beds with ashes, &c, as a ma 

 nuring for turnips; calculating, that sue 

 ag would be sure to pay me 40 pe 

 cent, on the cost. Now, after a couple ( 

 years with such management, I would b 

 Iglad to be told where the weeds and th 

 grubs are to come from! I calcular? tha 

 one would be rooted out, and the othe 

 starved out: the weeds contained in th 

 dung of the compost being turned so dee 

 |as not to vegetate, and the grubs having d 

 ' erass to feed upon : with their esrgs, if the 

 Iliad any, destroyed by a winter's exposun 

 by being turned up in the autumn. Wei 

 now. what do you say against this mode ( 

 management ! 



C. — Oh, nothing: only I should like t 

 have the footing up of the account. 



E. — Well, and to this I should not hav 

 the slightest objection. 



< '. — But to be serious: what foundatio 

 have you for believing that such a mod 

 would be attended with the results whic 

 you predict ! I confess, to me the plan i 

 novel, and one that I should hesitate to fo 

 low; — have you any experience of the a( 

 vantages which you expect so confidently t 

 arise from its adoption ? 



E. — N< I exactly; but reasoning from ana 

 ogy, I should say the thing must work; ft 

 only listen to what Jethro Tuil says in h 

 "Horse-hoeing Husbandry." on th* 3 cultiv; 

 tion of wheat on the same land, for man 



