40-2 



NEW E iN G L A N D FARMER 



JUNE aa, i84a. 



We fiiiil llie following in the American Karnicr, 

 (publislicil nt l!nllinuirr,)(.rt'io I5tli inst;— 

 COLDNKSS OF THE SEASOtN. 



Tlie wenlliiT since tlio coriimeiiceinent of corn 

 planting, lias bron uniisiially cold in tins part of 

 the counliy, and, as we lenrn, in others; tins < rep 

 in consequence has born greatly retarded in its 

 growth ; but us »e linie had llirer. fine eoaking 

 rains witiiin the week, and the weather haa clrored 

 lip (avorubly, with a warm sun and ijenial atinus- 

 phere, we fondly look forward, nnder F'rovidenco, 

 to see it start and make up for h)st time. We 

 hav« seldom witucssed a season more illsiiiled to 

 the wants of tlie corn plant ; but from ita frenfral 

 healthfnl appearance, we are inclined to believe 

 that a coniinuanee of the present state of the 

 weather will impart to it an impetus »lucliwill 

 put an end to its stnio'^lin':, and crown the hopes 

 of the husbandman with success. 



From the same cause, the oat crop has begun to 

 head short; as it looks healthy, however, we do 

 not apprehend a failure; but on the contrary anti- 

 cipate a full yield. 



OyTliis account shows that tlie weather and 

 Its etTecIs around Dallimore were like what we 

 have experienced here. Since the cold storm of 

 Saturday before the last, and the frost of that night 

 (which did no erlensivc injury in this immediate 

 vicinity,) we have had most copious rams ""'' lin<r he told 

 warm winds. Trees and {rrass, grains and pota- 

 toes and corn have all been doing well — though 

 corn prob.ibly would have come forward faster 

 with less wet and more bright sunshine. 'I'lie 

 prospects for the hay crop liavo greatly improved, 

 though it will not he nbiimlant, unless the early 

 part of next ninnlh should be more wet than the 

 first weeks of July usually are. 



.litualion at this time by hilling, you will gel a Ipss 

 qu.iniity of seed than if left alone. If the laliral 

 roots of a stalk of clover are cut off when Iho seed 

 stock is forming, there will be no seed ; and just 

 so willi "llnr plants aiii trees; and the working fif 

 them at this stage cannot be attempted without in- 

 jury. Yet, strange to say, it is almost iuvariahly 

 done. I have never sufl'ered my corn to be worked 

 after one third of the height of the stalk was at- 

 tained. I plant close enough to have the corn to 

 shade the ground nt ito height, so as to prevent the 

 growtli of weeds after this last working, I plant 

 two and a half feet siiunre, and leave two stalks in 

 the hill, and I have never missed having as much 

 corn pet acre and as large cars as my neighbors; 

 and much more ihan scuue of them. I never plant- 

 ed a crop of corn that I had not some kind neigh- 

 bor or friend to tell iiie that I would have neither 

 corn nor fodder. Last spring, a cropper upon my 

 neigiibor's farm planted ihirtylive or forty acres in I 

 corn, and I about t>'n acres — .our fields adjoining. 

 He planted his corn four feet scpiare, and left three 

 or four stalks in the hill, and worked his crop till 

 it was ready to shoot into tnssels. I quit working 

 mine wlien about two und a half feet high. His 

 field was full of weeds and grass. Mine remained 

 clear of both weeds and grass. When our corn 

 was husked and housed, he told me I had from my 

 ten acres nearly fit"ty bushels of corn more than he 

 had from his thirtyfive or forty acres, notwithsland- 

 me in its early growth, that I would 

 have no corn. Part of liis ground was ijuite as 

 good as mine. 



A similar and worse effect is produced in the 



preservation in a licallhful condition. If this po|k 

 be conceded, tfien it follows as a corollary, th| 

 both corn and corn meal should be cooked beft 

 being fed. This will appear the more inanifl [f,' 

 when we slate these facts : Corn, by being bojii 

 or steamed, will increase in bulk two hundred |i 

 cent. ; while corji mrnl, by the process of builii 

 is increased three liundred and fifty per cent. 1 

 make ourself more distinctly understood, we 

 remark, th.it a bushel of corn afler being boili 

 will measure three bushels ; and that, to cook 

 bushel of meal, it feqiiires five bushels of water 

 make it into the consistence of mush, so that cvej 

 pound of meal in its raw ^tate will give 4 12 

 of cooked food, with a volume Correspondingly 

 creased. These facts should, we think, go far 

 point out to ilie observing farmer the advantag* 

 to be gained by cooking whatever meal lie 

 feed to his cows or hogs JImer. Far. 



CULTIVATION OF CORN. 



We copy the following article from the Albany 

 Cultivator. The reasoning against plowing deep 

 among corn, and against hilling up after the corn 

 begins to spindle, siems to us strong and conclu- 

 sive. But deep stirring of the soil between the 

 rows while the corn is small, gives vigor and 

 strength to its growth. We could never have the 

 good forlune to stop the growth of weeds by hav- 

 ing the corn so thick as to shade the ground. Ours 

 are so tenacious of life that they choose to live 

 without sunshine, rather than not live at all : — at 

 Uaat some of lliein so choose. We however can 

 destroy them mostly by scratthiiifr the surface with 

 a very light harrow and with the hoe: — 



"I have noticed an error in the culture of plants 

 and trees, wherever I have bean, and 1 know no 

 better plan to illustrate it than in showing the ef- 

 fect of the error on corn. In the culture of corn, 

 it is usual to work the ctop till the tassil is about 

 to make its appearance: this is an error. When- 

 ever the lateral roots of a plant are injured, moved 

 or disturbed, when the stalk that is to produce the 

 seed is matured or about maturing, or whenever 

 those roots are covered to a greater depth nt this 

 stage of growth than nature intended, it will pro- 

 duce early maturity and dicay, and the yield will 

 be just in the proportion of the extent of the error. 

 If you will take the pains to destroy the lateral 

 roots of a stalk uf corn after lis having modo the 

 last joint on the stock, you will find that it will 

 produce no corn ; and if you will displace their 



VIRGINIA WHEAT CROP. 



The Richmond Whig e.vpresses fears thai 

 rejoicings of an abundant harvest liavc been prei 

 tiire in many portions of the State — that tlie 

 has made its appearance in the late wheat — whl 

 coiistitutPK the greater portion — and threatens i^ 

 stniction, where ten days ago a most proniiti 

 crop was expected. 



"The numerous failures of the wheat crop, 

 liilling or working of plants in the latter stags of j the Whig.) which have occurred during late yell 

 their growth, than takes place in plants and trees if followed by another this year, will lead to thj 



en d>-ep planted. A disease is produced that 

 hurries the plant on to early maturity by impediii; 



jeneral abandonment of the wheit culture in tl» 

 Stale, or the substitution of a wheal which Uiaturn 



the proper nourishment, by disturbing or placing earlier than that now in use. Recourse niigl( 



the roots below where nature intended they should 

 range for food, as well as depriving the vessels of 

 the stalks thus coveted from performing their func- 

 tions. The stalks being established, it is folly lor 

 man to attempt to do that which God alone can do. 

 Deep planting and plowing the peach orchard, after 

 the trees have attained siifTicipnt mntiirily In pro- 

 duce fruit, 19, if not wholly, the pn»cipat cause of 

 the disease called the yellows. Hy plowing, the 

 lateral roots are either cut, disturbed, or forced to 

 seek food apart from where nature intended, and 

 thus operates as a hill placed around plants, and 

 brings the tree to early decay. 

 To conclude this 



wisely be had to this latter alternative. We leirl 

 that many of the enterprising farmers upon lh| 

 River have a portion of their growing crop of M>f 

 wheat, some of which has already been reaped, «nl 

 all is ready for Iho scythe. If the entire crei 

 were of that kind, it would now be free from litn 

 ger." I 



ASPARAGUS. I 



A writer in the Erie Chronicle says that the bc< 



way to kill weeds on asparagus beds is to wote» 



them liberally with beef or pork brine, or any salt 



brine. The salt kills the weeds, while it nnurisher 



subject for the present, I will 1 the asparagus, which is a niaratime plant, an* 



say, work ycmr plants and trees while young, so as grows belter for liavini' sail. •> 



to form good stalks, and then trust to the all-wise We have never put strong brine on asparugui 



Disposer of events to perfect them. [ beds, and have some doubt whclher the pltnt^ 



I lliiiik I noticed a remark in your paper, of the i would bear it Weak brine rnay be used »iti 



roots of the watsrinelon being attacked by small | safety. — Ed. Mass. Ploicmntt. 



aniiiialculs'. Some salt added to the hills before' r>„« .^r , .., „it;,-.„ ■ r .l>i 



,, ,11, , ' One of our citizens, a grocer, informs us that I 



p anting, will remedy thi- cvi and give you better ( i,.. e., , <• ,„ ,.„.,., „ ,. i • .r ■ , <• 



' ^' ■' h J 1 iins lor a tew years past been in the habit of 



fruit; and salt and sullpelre sown in the peach 

 orchard, (particularly where the orchard is wurked 

 Willi the plow,) will assist in prevenling like de- 

 predations to the roots of the peach tree. 



"If you think that this hasty notice will be of 

 nny service, you are at liberty to dispose of it as 

 you think best, and be assured that I seek neither 

 money nor thanks for performing duties we owe 

 one lo another. 



LITTLETON PHYSIC. 



Note carefully the efTects of your experiments. 



tying the brine from his pork and fish barrels 

 his asparagus bed ; and he thinks none i>f his neigb^ 

 bore have better asparagus than he. The efTaclO ' 

 the brine is entirely to destroy the weeds, while I ' 

 makes his plants much more thrifty. And why i ' 

 not this reasonable .' .Asparagus is known to be I 

 marine plant, and is found in abundance in mtOJ 



places along the shore of the ocean Kd. Ctim ' 



Farmers Giiz. ' 



the 



V gentleman of Roxbury lias sent the editor 01 

 Boston Times a stalk of rye 7 1 -2 feet in |cnglb| 



