80 Southern Gardener^s Practical Manual 



that period, not only to secure thorough pulverization 

 and to mix the manure well with the soil, but to destroy 

 insect enemies which hibernate in the soil. Plant the 

 very early varieties on beds raised several inches above 

 the general level, to secure the necessary warmth in the 

 seed-bed and to effect prompt drainage of the surface. 

 Cover the seed very lightly, since the moisture necessary 

 for the germination of the seed will be abundant near 

 the surface and the necessary warmth will be better 

 secured at the surface than deeper. The soil for these 

 early so-called six -weeks varieties must be excessively 

 fertile and the cultivation regular and thorough, to force 

 the plants to maturity in the short period of their 

 growth. They may be planted in rows three feet apart 

 and three to five grains dropped every two feet in the 

 row. It is better to thin than to replant. At these dis- 

 tances, best results will be obtained by leaving only one 

 stalk in the hill. Slight frost will retard the growth of 

 early planted corn but will not otherwise seriously in- 

 jure it. At the same time that the early varieties are 

 planted, a few rows of some early double -eared variety 

 should be planted and one of the large field varieties, to 

 keep up the supply. The planting of several varieties of 

 different earliness is more satisfactory than making suc- 

 cessive plantings of one variety. 



The surface should be lightly stirred with a garden 

 push -plow or with the garden -rake at short intervals, 

 and especially as soon as the surface is dry enough after 

 each rain which falls in sufficient quantity to cause the 

 formation of a crust upon the surface of the soil as it 

 dries. Avoid cultivation deeper than two inches. As 



