32 THE COMPLETE FARMER 



soap, and rolling it in plaster, and gives the details of an ex- 

 periment which tested the utility of this practice. 



William Clark, Jim,, of Northampton, Massachusetts, pub- 

 lished an article on the culture of corn in the New England 

 Farmer, vol. xi. p. 337, giving in detail a number of experi- 

 ments, which favored the opinion that an equal distance each 

 Vvay is the best method of planting corn; and that on soil 

 ' similar to Avhat I have described, [a sandy loam somewhat 

 exhausted by neglect and severe cropping, manured Avith 

 about twenty cart loads of compost to the acre] about nine 

 square feet of surface is sufficient ground for one hill.' That 

 is, the hills were three feet apart each way from centre to 

 centre; but he does not state how many kernels were plant- 

 ed, nor how many plants were suffered t3 remain in a hill. 



It has often been stated that great advantage was derived 

 from selecting seed corn from stalks which had borne two 

 or more ears. The Hampshire Gazette, published at North- 

 ampton, Massachusetts, mentions a farmer who 'has selected 

 his seed corn in this way for three years past, and the result has 

 exceeded his expectation. He states that it is not uncommon 

 to find in his corn-field this season, [1831] stalks with three, 

 four, five, and sometimes six ears, and three of them fair, full 

 grown, and fit for seed, and that t-yo in hills containing four 

 or five stalks.' He says, * I think my crop has been increas- 

 ed several bushels this year by the experiment. I would 

 suggest a mode of selecting seed to those who do not cut up 

 the corn at the roots. When they are picking corn, and 

 find a sA.lk with two or more ears, let them tie the husks 

 together, and the ears will be easily known at husking.' 



A solution of copperas in water has been recommended 

 as forming a good preparation for seed corn. Mr. J. Ells- 

 worth, of Ketch Mills, Connecticut, in a communication 

 published in the New England Farmer, vol. x. p. 331, stated 

 as follows : 



* Last year I soaked our seed corn in very strong copperas 

 water, as near as I can recollect from twenty-four to thirty- 

 six hours ; every kernel was made as black as charcoal ; the 

 man who planted the corn called me a fool, and said it 

 would never vegetate. But every hill planted came up well, 

 and during its growth excited the remarks of all who saw it, 

 as being the most even field of corn they ever saw. Not 

 one hill in the whole seven acres was injured by worms j 

 o.nd we had often in previous years been compelled to re- 

 plant several times, when it had been cut doAvn by the worms. 



