THE GENESEE FARMER. 



115 



mellow soil full three iuchea more, making eleven 

 iuclies in all, ^^'hieb would compare i■u^•orably with 

 ordinary union beds; then hai-row and farrow out the 

 laud at right angles thivc feet and a half. This is my 

 2>lau. I prefer close planting, as it protects the land 

 from the scorching rays qf the sun. If the seed corn 

 is good, it is veiy rare if there is any replanting to 

 be done. The failure of corn to come up well is 

 oftener caused by the failure to prepare the ground 

 riglit than any thing else. 



In cultivating corn, I prefer the douhle shovel to 

 anything I have seen j-et. By passing between the 

 rows twice, the ground is all thoroughly stirred, and 

 the weeds and grass destroyed. As the shovels are 

 small, they leave the rows nicely p'alverized and level. 

 Pour times going over is all sulficient, -which is easily 

 and soon performed, compared with the tediou^ hilling 

 and hoeing system, which should be abandoned. It 

 is obvious that this plan economizes both time and 

 labor, which are two important items. But this is 

 not all : there lieing but little earth thrown around 

 the plants, the sun has double the power to warm the 

 roots of the corn, enabling it to send out its roots 

 long and strong; the corn having a good yoTfnrfrti'/o/i, 

 shoots lip vigorously, and will be well supported by 

 spnr roots, and will stand a gale much better than 

 when cultivated under the old plan. 



Jamks II. Arxett. 



EcoxoMY, AYavne Co., Ind. 



I 



GOOD TILLAGE A PEEYEXTIVE OF 

 DllOUTll. 



Much Esteemed Fkiexd, Daniel Lee: — Last 

 summer was an exceedingly dry one; no rain fell from 

 about tlie 18th of ]May till the last of July that wet 

 the earth half an inch deep. But this drouth verified 

 an idea held forth by scientiflc agriculturists M'hich I 

 doubted much, namely: that when the earth possesses 

 the requisite elements necessary for a good crop, and 

 being in proper culture, a quite small quantity of rain 

 was needed; or, in other words, when the farmer had 

 done his part, he need iiot dread drouth. 1 his I did 

 not believe — 1 thought it impossible — but I am now 

 perfectly satisfied. Part of my little corn-field laid 

 below a manure yard, and part had been covered for 

 years with manure, and another spot had tor years a 

 smith's shop, garden and yard on it. On the latter 

 spot the corn grew luxuriantly, and when coming into 

 tas>;el and silk much of it on the other parts of the 

 field was but six or eight inches high, and through 

 the day was shrunk. It was so remarlvalile that I 

 called my wili; to see the wonderful diiference. It 

 seemed to me almost u miracle to see Avith what vigor 

 it grew on the enriched ground, Ijidding defiance to 

 drouth. Here large, excellent corn grew, while on 

 the impoverished part diminutive nubbins only were 

 found. Now, I know that we need only to suppiv 

 the elements which make a ))lentiful crop — pulverize 

 the soil deep — and we shall be well rewarded, although 

 drouths prevail. I am perfectly satisfied of this, as 

 the corn on the ditrercnt localities had exactly the 

 same advantages of culture, rain and dews — the only 

 diiference was in fertility. 



The su])erior advantages of deep plowing v.-ere also 

 more tuUy developed during the drouth than 1 had 



witnessed before. I jilowcd the ground, with the ex- 

 ception of one acre, in Decemt^er, as deep as possible 

 fur two horses — from six to eight inches; and plowed 

 again before planting, and pulverized tlie soil as well 

 as I could. The result was that the soil contained 

 an incredible amount of moisture; it really seemed to 

 draw water out of the air. I have long liecn of the 

 opinion that plowing ground in the i'all for corn has 

 a good effect on the coming crop ; but I found no 

 advantage from jjlowing last tail, as the acre I plowed 

 only in the s])ring did rather better than that plowed 

 in the fall. It may be that it was ])lowed too late, as 

 all vegetation had ceased (about the 10th of Decem- 

 ber) ; I think it should be done before vegetation 

 ceases — say the last of Octolier or first of November. 

 The white clover and blue grass had vegetated con- 

 siderably when the gromid was plowed the second 

 time, just previous to planting; but the land being 

 pretty stiff clay, and l^eaten by rain, it became too 

 solid for the germs of the grass to penetrate. AVhen 

 turned up it looked as if a shght snow had fallen — all 

 white. But the dry weather which followed killed it, 

 and I had no trouble. I still believe corn and garden 

 ground should be plowed in autunm. By plowing 

 before vegetation ceases entirely, the germs of the 

 grasses will be smothered. I have seen a corn-field 

 part of which was so ]3lowed and a part in the spring 

 just before planting, that afforded the most conclusive 

 evidence in favor of fall plowing. The corn on the 

 fall plowed ground stood regularly, while that plowed 

 in spring had not over a tenth part left by the grub 

 worm. Let me say to our brother farmers: enrich 

 the soil — plow deep — pulverize well — keej) the corn 

 clear of grass and weeds — stir the ground with the 

 cultivator or corn harrow (the drier the weather the 

 oftener, it nmtters hllle how dry) — sow that which is 

 in a good condition at planting — and you will have a 

 good crop. 



A most indolent and pernicious practice prevails 

 with f.u'mers over a great extent of the wheat section 

 of -our country. I mean to stack in the field, Mherc, 

 after threshing, the straw is left in piles to decay as it 

 can, instead of building barns for its reception, where 

 it should serve as litter for the animals, and be con- 

 A-ertcd into manure to feed the starving plants on the 

 robbed, impoverished soil. Here and there in spots, 

 burs, docks, Spanish needles, and other noxious weeds 

 grow ; it is a nursery from which the whole fields are 

 made foul, and the result is from five to ten bushels 

 to the acre, with flocks of dark sheep carrying loads 

 of the noxious seeds, performing the ojice of sowers. 

 Yet the slovenly owner of the abused soil reflects, 

 and often heaps anathemas, on the ilaker of the soil! 

 But as long as there is fresh soil West out of wliich 

 to swindle Uic helpless Indian, our farmers will neglect 

 the soil at home and encroach on the cliildreu of the 

 wilderness. 



■ Somewhere in one of the volumes of the Farmer 

 I read a mode by which any one could analyze soil ; 

 Ijut I do not know where to find the article describing 

 the mode. Perhaps you could give the process iu _a 

 future number. I am aware that such an analysis 

 would not be perfect, but it would perhaps subserve 

 a good purpose. I have put up two specimens of 

 soi! — the one on which good corn was grown, and the 

 other whereon not a tenth as much grew — and should 



