834 



THE GENESEE FARMER, 



DISCUSSIONS AT THE N. Y. STATE FAIR. 



At the State Fair at Elmira, meetings for discussion 

 were held ia the erenuigs, at which much interesting in- 

 fonuation was elicited. On Tuesday evening, the subject 

 proposed for discussion was " Indian Corn ; Soils Best 

 Adapted to it ; Proper Method of Culture on Different 

 Varieties of Soils ; Its Value as' a Farm Crop." 



The Hon. T. C. Peters, of Genesee County, presided. 

 Speakers were limited to ten minutes. 



Mr. Brainard, of Attica, N. Y., planted corn on an 

 inverted sod. Spreads the manure on the sod and plows 

 it in. Does not "hill" the corn. Thinks corn fodder 

 valuable. Cuts up the corn at the roots. In a good sea- 

 son this gives most corn. In a poor season there is not 

 so much gain as compared with topping. Never knew 

 the full value of cornstalks till last winter, when fodder 

 was so scarce. He chaffed his stalks and straw — two- 

 thirds stalks and one-third straw. His horses did well 

 on it. Horses fed on corn leaves never had the heaves. 



T. C. Peters said chaffed stalks were good for horses. 

 He did not believe in dee.jy plmcincf for corn. He would 

 like to hear from others on this point. 



S. Walrath, Canton, St. Lawrence county, thought 

 corn a more profitable crop than hay, which was the prin- 

 cipal crop in his county. Planted his corn on green- 

 sward, 3;^ feet apart each way. Hen manure excellent for 

 corn. Had raised 80 bushels per acre. He planted the 

 small eight-rowed and King Philip varieties. Cultivates 

 by using the horse-hoe both ways. Does not hill. 



Mr. BuocKLAND, of Duchess county, tried an experi- 

 ment two years ago. He drew out i2 loads of manure 

 per acre on a one 3'ear old clover sod. He then threw the 

 land up into ridges four feet apart, and, as we understood, 

 then cross-plowed so as to form hills four feet apart, with 

 the manure iu the centre. He had 71 bushels on an acre, 

 and the whole field of ten acres averaged 02 bushels per 

 acre. He planted the eight-rowed Canada corn. Put a 

 handful of plaster and ashes in each hill Thought this 

 method of culture would give large crops — but it was too 

 much labor for general adoption. 



Joux S. Pettibone, of Manchester, Vt., thought the 

 value of cornstalks for fodder depended on the number of 

 " nubbins" the boj'S left in at husking! Would not top 

 coi'n if he had grass enough. If grass was scarce would 

 cut up the corn. Corn that is topped makes good fodder. 

 The .stalks, when topped, of a crop of corn that would 

 yield 40 bushels per acre, are equal in value to a ton and 

 ii half of hay. When corn land is left bare in winter the 

 strong winds blow off the fine soil, and on the side hills 

 much of the richest portion of the soil is washed away. 

 By topping the corn and leaving the butts standing on 

 the land, this blowing and leaching is prevented. If tie 

 had regard simply to the amount of fodder he could get, 

 he would cut up the corn at the roots ; if he had regard 

 to the soil, he would top the corn. 



S. Walrath thought cutting up gave more fodder, and 

 thus enabled you to keep more stock, and to make more 

 manure, and thus enrich the land. The increase of ma- 

 nure thus obtained would more than compensate for the 

 injury done by blowing and washing. 



Gen. Marshall, of NVheeler, Steuben county, thought 

 farmers made a great mistake in being in such a hurry at 

 planting time. They thought every year they would do 

 better next time, but when the time came they were in 

 just as great a hurry as ever. It does not pay to let 

 boys do the planting. " It would be more profitable to pay 

 :a man that would do the work properly, $.5.00 a day. His 

 soil was a gravelly loam. He drew out coarse manure on 

 clover sod, and then turns it in as deep as he can and do 

 the work well. Then rolls if necessary, and harrows till 

 the ground is in good condition. Plants four feet apart 

 each way. He smears the seed with soft-soap heated in a 

 kettle and then dries it till planted. The soap softens the 

 seed and causes it to germinate more readily, while tar 

 retards germination. He hoped farmers would try soft- 

 soap— and we hope so too. The idea strikes us favorably. 

 Had used hen manure mixed with uuleached ashes, half 

 and half, a handful' in each hill, with good effect. On the 

 right kind of land corn is the most profitable crop a far- 

 mer can raise. Feeds the stalks to his cows. In reply to 



a question, he said he never fed stalks to sheep. Gives 

 his sheep straw, with a little grain. 



Mr. Plumb, of Onondaga county, prefers a clover lay of 

 two years old. Plows under twenty loads of manure per 

 acre. Does not plow more than six inches deep. Har- 

 rows and then puts on a two-horse cultivator. Plants 

 three feet apart each way. Uses a horse-hoe freelv, but 

 does not hand-hoe, at least but very little. Uses "ashes 

 and plaster. Expense of cultivation from $S to §10 per 

 acre. Does not like much hill. Will not pay to hand- 

 hoe much. Has raised from 180 to 1S5 bushels of ears 

 per acre. _ Thinks corn more profitable than any other 

 crop he raises. Does not top his corn ; cuts it up by the 

 roots. Thinks the fodder very valuable. Last year, on 

 the stalks from ten acres of corn, he kept 150 sheep and 

 twelve cows to the 1st of March. They had access to a 

 straw stack. Raises the large eight-rowed j'ellow corn — 

 ears from eight to twelve inches long. In reply to a ques- 

 tion, he said he bad raised the white variety but liked the 

 yellow better. Does not like the Duttou. 



T. C. Peters spread the manure out on sod-land in the 

 fall, and plowed it under in the spring four inches deep. 

 He had tried planting three feet apart each way and three 

 and a half one way and three feet the other. " The thick 

 planting gave most fodder, but less in proportion to the 

 stalks. He chaffs bis fodder. Has tried an experiment 

 to determine the relative value of cornstalks and timothy 

 hay. Both were chaffed and steameil. The cous hariitg 

 the carnstalks gave the most milk. The great secret of suc- 

 cess in corn culture is to have the ground made very tine 

 before planting. Never hills his corn. Never hand-hoes, 

 except to kill Canada thistles. In reply to a question, he 

 said he would not save his manure from the spring crops 

 for the sake of applying it in the fall, but would use all 

 he had on hand in the fall. He liked to make all the ma- 

 nure he could during the summer. 



Solon Robinson, of the New York Trihime, was called 

 out, and said he had purchased what was called a " worn- 

 out" farm in Westchester county, because he was tired of 

 living on the pavements of New York. Some of the land 

 had not been plowed for thirty years. Hcpvitiu the plow 

 as deep as he could get it for the stones, and then IbUovr- 

 ed with a subsoil plow. He drilled in the corn, in drills 

 three feet apart, and dropped the seed ten inches apart in 

 the drills. He planted the Improved King Philip variety, 

 which was the best he had ever seen in the State of New 

 York. The season was very dry, and the corn did not do 

 much at first, but he had a splendid crop after all. He 

 cut it up (this year) the middle of September. He would 

 cut up as soon as the best ears are well glazed. The fod- 

 der from his crop of corn was worth more per acre than 

 the best crop of hay per acre in his neighborhood. H' cut 

 rather green and well cured, and afterwards chafl'ed, he 

 thought cornstalks as good as the best timothy hay for 

 horses and cattle. A gentleman at Springfield, Mass., had 

 informed him that he had proved by actual experiment, 

 that nine pounds of cornstalks chaffed and steamed were 

 equal to twenty-live pounds fed in the usual way. 



The Hon. A. B. Dickinso.n', of Steuben county, was 

 loudly called for. He thought climate had as much to do 

 with the culture of corn as soil. The soils of England 

 are as good as in this country, but they could not grow 

 corn. The climate was not hot enough. This very valley 

 in which we are now, is one of the best corn growing re- 

 gions in the country. It requires more labor to groW' 

 corn here than in the Sciota or the Miami valleys, but he< 

 had never seen as heavy crops there as here and in West- 

 ern New York. He had bought thousands of acres of corn 

 in the Western States, but never saw a crop of tJO bushelsi 

 per acre that weighed GO lbs. per bushel. Has seen a 

 crop here of 120 bushels per acre. In regard to deep or 

 shallow plowing, he would plow just as deep, and no 

 deeper than the best soil went. If the land had been 

 plowed deep before, and was rich to that depth, he would 

 plow that depth, but he would not turn up raw, poor soil 

 for corn. In plowing be careful to cover all grass and 

 weeds. The distance of planting depended on the rich- 

 ness of the soil, and on the variety. Here the object 

 should be to plant a variety that is sure to ripen, even if 

 it is small. Plants such a small, early variety in drills; 

 three feet apart, and 20 inches apart in the drills, leaving 

 three plants iu a hill. In regard to hoeing; the soil here 

 is apt to crust over, and he likod to break this crust) 

 nearer the hill than could be done by the horse-hoe. At t 



