1847. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



161 



Corn Culture. 



Mr. Editor : — In the last (.Tune) number of 

 fne Farmer, is an article " On Growing Corn," 

 overthe signatuae of "J. D. C," containing the 

 following recommendations in regard to the after 

 culture of this valuable plant: "'When you have 

 got through with the process of first weeding and 

 light earthing, then put on your plaster." 



We hive practiced with success the mixing of 

 plaster and ashes in equal proportions, with an 

 addition of one peck of salt to every two bushels 

 of the mixture, and applying as soon as the corn 

 was sufficiently up to distinguish the rows. An 

 early application is preferable if the grub is at 

 all troublesome, or the corn comes up sickly and 

 yellow. Then comes the following suggestion : 

 "The remaining team work should be done with the 

 plow, in order to bring up the soil to the rays of tho sun, 

 and also within reach of the fibres of corn that are despatch- 

 ed in every direction of the hill to secure nutriment for 

 the stalk." 



Of this 'remaining team work with the plow,' 

 1 wish to say a few words, as the doctrine of 

 plowing among corn does not exactly harmozize 

 with the principles laid down in my philosophy. 

 1 have condemned the principle from theory, 

 practice and observation, and the following are 

 a few of the reasons for so doing : No plant, 

 whether in its natural or cultivated state, will 

 ever put out its fibres or roots deeper in the soil 

 or farther from the stock than the nature of the 

 plant requires. Corn, for instance, spreads the 

 most of its numerous fibres within a few inches 

 of the surface of the ground ; in fact all the fibres 

 that afford any essential nourishment to the stock 

 lie within the depth of the original plowing for 

 the preparation of the crop. Now nature will 

 bring these roots just near enough the sun to be 

 benefited by its genial influence, — and just for 

 enough from it to protect from its scorching heat, 

 without the use of a plow to give them an occa- 

 sional airing, or sever them in twain just at the 

 point beyond which the parent stock received the 

 greatest portion of its nourishment. 



Who would consider it beneficial to occasion- 

 ally clip the roots from a tree, and expose the 

 bleeding wound to the sun's rays, and then in- 

 dulge the vain hope of adding to its growth and 

 and beauty? The result would be just the reverse. 

 Infinitely more so is this the case when practised 

 upon a tender plant of corn, the roots of which, 

 in many cases, grow to a greater length than the 

 stalk itself More than two-thirds of the fibrous 

 roots of corn pass the point indicated by the plow 

 as commonly used in cultivating corn, when 

 planted three feet in the row. This accounts for 

 the fact of corn "standing still," as farmers gen- 

 erally term it, for a few days after hoeing and 

 hilling. I have noticed some pieces in dry sea- 

 sons, when deep plowing was practiced, that did 

 not "stand still," but went backward so fast for a 

 time that they never regained their former ap- 



pearance — the owners all the while wondering 

 what could be the matter; the pesky worms or 

 some other confounded thing must be at work, 

 when in fact it was nothing else than the pesky 

 farmer himself! 



I know not where this practice of plowing 

 among corn was first obtained, but one thing is 

 certain, it ought to be banished among the things 

 that were. In plowing also, one portion of the 

 root is laid bare, while the remaining portion is 

 covered twice its original depth. I have never 

 seen any thing of this kind indicated in tracing 

 any of the fibrous roots of corn as they exist in 

 their natural state ; hence I conclude it is a vio- 

 lation of a natural law in the economy of corn 

 culture, and consequently a pernicious practice. 



Keep your corn free from weeds; cultivate 

 freely without disturbing the roots, always keep- 

 ing the surface as nearly level as possible ; and 

 if very dry cultivate still more freely, tor it is an 

 established fact that a well pulverized soil, fre- 

 quently stirred, will retain more moisture than 

 a compact soil left undisturbed — and if the neces- 

 sary requisites were attended to in preparing the 

 soil, the laborer will be amply rewarded for his 



toil. A. ZOLLER. 



Minden, N. Y., June, 1847. 



Van Brooklin's Patent Clevis. 



The annexed figure represents a Cast-iron 

 Douhle-gauged Clevis, recently patented by Mr. 

 J. Van Brocklin, 

 of Middleport, Ni- 

 agara county, N. Y. 

 This Clevis has 

 been introduced in 

 this section, and we 

 learn that it is con- 

 sidered a valuable 

 improvement by 

 those who have test- 

 ed its merits. The 

 main Clevis is made 

 of cast-iron, secured 

 to the plow with 

 wrought- iron bolts, 

 With this Clevis a 

 plow can be so 

 gauged as to run to 

 or from land — and 

 also to plow deep or 

 shallow, at the op- 

 tion of the holder. 

 It is cheap and du- 

 rable — and as it is 

 warranted, no one will be the loser by trying the 

 article. 



The above Clevis is for sale at the Implement 

 Warehouses in this city, as will be seen by ref- 

 erence to our advertising departnient — page 173 

 of this number, Jf. 



