CORN, INDIAN 



the size of the cob. In tlio spring, be- 

 fore shelling the corn, I examined it 

 again, and selected that which was 

 the best in all respects. In shelling 

 the corn, I omitted to take the irreg- 

 ular kernels at both the large and 

 small ends. I have carefully follow- 

 ed this mode of selecting seed corn 

 for twenty-three years, and still con- 

 tinue to do so. When I first com- 

 menced, it was with a common kind of 

 corn, for there was no other in this 

 part of the country. If any other per- 

 son undertook the same experiment, 

 I did not hear of it ; I do not believe 

 others ever exercised the patience to 

 bring the experiment to the present 

 state of perfection. At first I was 

 troubled to find stalks with even two 

 good ears on them ; perhaps one good 

 ear and one small one, or one good 

 ear and a ' nubbin.' It was several 

 years before I could discover much 

 benefit resulting from my efforts ; 

 however, at length the quality and 

 quantity began to improve, and the 

 improvement was then very rapid. 

 At present I do not pretend to lay up 

 any seed without it comes from stalks 

 which bear four, five, or six ears. I 

 have seen stalks bearing eight ears. 

 One of my neighbours informed me 

 that he had a single stalk with ten 

 perfect ears on it, and that he intend- 

 ed to send the same to the museum 

 at Baltimore. In addition to the num- 

 ber of ears, and, of course, the great 

 increase in quantity unshelled, it may 

 be mentioned that it yields much 

 more than the common corn when 

 shelled. Some gentlemen, in whom 

 I have full confidence, informed me 

 that they shelled a barrel (10 bushels 

 of ears) of my kind of corn which 

 measured a little more than six bush- 

 els. The common kind of corn will 

 measure about five bushels only. 1 

 believe I raise double, or nearly so, 

 to what I could with any other corn 

 I have ever seen. I generally plant 

 the corn about the first of May, and 

 place the hills five feet apart each 

 way, and have two stalks in a hill. 



"Early last spring I let George 

 Law, Esq., of Baltimore City, have 

 some of this seed corn ; he sent it to 

 17G 



his friend in Illinois, with instructions 

 how to manage it. A few weeks since 

 he informed me that the increase was 

 120 bushels to the acre ; that there 

 was no corn in Illinois like it, and 

 that it produced more fodder than any 

 other kind. I have supplied many 

 friends with seed corn, but some of 

 them have planted it with other corn, 

 and will, I fear, find it degenerate. 



" I have lately been inquired of if 

 this corn was not later than any oth- 

 er kinds. It is rather earlier, cer- 

 tainly not later. Corn planted in moist 

 or wet soils will not ripen so quick as 

 that planted on a dry soil. In the for- 

 mer there will be found more damp- 

 ness in the cob, although the kernel 

 may appear ripe in both. In the two 

 last years, the wet seasons have in- 

 jured much corn that was early loft- 

 ed or housed." 



Culture of Indian Corn, hy Judge 

 Biiel. — " The soils adapted to the culture 

 of Indian corn are such as are perme- 

 able to heat, air, and the roots of the 

 plant, and embrace those denomina- 

 ted sandy, gravelly, and loamy. Corn 

 will not succeed well on grounds that 

 are stiff, hard, or w^et. The roots 

 grow to as great length as the stalks, 

 and the soil must be loose to permit 

 their free extension. 



" The manures used are generally 

 yard and stable dung, and plaster of 

 Paris (sulphate of lime). The first 

 ought to be abundant, as upon the 

 fertility which it induces depends the 

 profit of the crop. Long or unfer- 

 mented manure is to be preferred. It 

 decomposes as the wants of the plant 

 require it ; while its mechanical op- 

 eration, in rendering the soil light and 

 porous, is beneficial to the crop. It 

 should be equally spread over the 

 whole surface before it is ploughed 

 under. It then continues to afford 

 fresh pasture to the roots till the corn 

 has matured, and is, in its place, to 

 benefit the succeeding crop. If put 

 into the hills, the roots soon extend 

 beyond its influence ; it does not so 

 readily decompose, and the subse- 

 quent crop is prejudiced from its par- 

 tial distribution in the soil. In a ro- 

 tation of four or five years, in which 



