1878.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



i79 



at consiclcrable expense, citlun- witli bani- 

 , yard iii.uiun', bone, or phosplialcs of different 

 kinds, all of whieli bave l)i'en plai-eci in Ibe 

 gronud lo t'eotl and nomi.sb fbe plant, and llieTi 

 the ground is left untouelied, anil is subjected 

 to all the rains, snows, freezing and thawing, 

 through a period c)f si,\ or seven months. In 

 the spring the ground dries otT, and is liard 

 aud solid ; we may walk over it and iiol leave 

 an impression upon it, and the plant has 

 formed Some small fibrous roofs during the 

 short tim, it bad to grow in tiie fall. Ai^l 

 now that the spring has come, and the weather 

 is warm \Te look for the grain to grow, and 

 expect thofe little roots to go out in this hard 

 solid earth in search of, and to lake uji the 

 food placed there to sustain, noniisb and ma- 

 ture a full crop of grain, and the roots are of 

 course the only medium tlirougb whicli it can 

 take up the food, and tlie i'urtber the season 

 advances, the harder and dryer the ground 

 becomes, and the more dilficult it is for the 

 plant to get it; and the consecpience is that 

 enough has come within the grasji of these 

 little roots to furnish a fairstraw with a small 

 short head; for long before heading time the 

 larger portion of the nourishment that was 

 within reach of the plant, has become ex- 

 hausted in suiiplying the demand to produce 

 the straw, and there is but little left to supply 

 nourishment for the head. 



And here the question may very properly 

 be asked, -'What are you going to do about 

 it ¥" And the answer is, I would seed the 

 wheat in rows far enough apart to admit of 

 suHicient air aud sun, as in the ease of corn, 

 and not allow the grain to be crowded into 

 little narrow rows, closely together, and on 

 top of each other ; but liave the grain properly 

 distril)uted over the ground in the rows and 

 of proper and sutHcient width apart for culti- 

 vating in the spring, and in this way we 

 thoroughly pulverize and loosen up the soil, 

 let in the air and sun, and the little roots can 

 go out in search of the nourishment put there 

 for the plant ; and the moist earth abnorhs the 

 fertilizing gases in the amosphere, and also 

 the dews of the night, all of which tends 

 to give strength and nourishment to the 

 plant, giving it a strong, substantial stalk 

 capable of conducting a much larger amount 

 of sap,sutlicient to produce a large, full prolitic 

 head, at least one-third larger than the usual 

 average head. To expect a large crop ordina- 

 rily, without cultivating it, might W(dl be 

 compared to feeding a good cow, and placing 

 the feed in the trough, just so that the cow 

 can reach one-half of it. and then wonder why 

 she did not give more milk. Cultivating is the 

 least expensive part of the work in raising a 

 crop of wheat, yet we have gone through with 

 all the greater part of the cost of labor, seed, 

 fertilizers, itc, and have taken our chances 

 for a crop, and left undone the least expen- 

 sive and most important part. In suiiport of 

 my argument, I would say, that practical de- 

 monstrations everywhere, fairly tried, have 

 fully proven this fact; and that there is some- 

 thing wrong in our present method of seeding 

 wheat I think is obvious to every close 

 observer and practical farmer. If one grain 

 of wheat is capable of producing from 40 to 50 

 heads, then we sow too much seed in loo small 

 a space — in other words we use too much seed. 

 I was told by a practical farmer in Adams 

 county, Pa., that from one grain be gathered 

 a product of 40 heads, which yielded 1173 

 grains. Mr.narris,of Washington county, Md., 

 had a very fine crop this sea.son, which yielded 

 36 bushels per acre in one lieUl, and a iiart of 

 the field was seeded with one-half bushel per 

 acre, a part with three-fourths bushel, and 

 remainder with one and one-liflh bushel per 

 acre, and in the growing wheat at harvest 

 time, no difference could be seen so far as 

 thickness on the ground was concerned. An 

 old experienced farmer in .Jersey has for a few 

 years past been seeding one bushel per acre, 

 by broad-casting it, and .says he gets more 

 wheat than when he sowed two bushels per 

 acre. I would therefore say, sow less seed 

 and cultivate it, and feel warranted in pre- 

 dicting an increased yield of from 25 to 75 per 



cent., and the wheat will stand up. Of course 

 it is expected that care will be used in select- 

 ing good seed, and of such variety as is best 

 a(iapted to each locality and soil. 



And here, altliough somewhat foreign to the 

 subject proper, the inipiiry might properly be 

 rai.sed: When shall we sow our grass scedV 

 We generally sowour timothy seed in tiiefall, 

 when We seed, or else in tlie early si)ring with 

 our clover seed. 



In reply, I would say, sow all your grass 

 .seed, of whatever variety, in the spring, after 

 you have cultivated your wheat, and when 

 ibe ground is prc^pared to receive it, the roots 

 can gel a good strong bold, and it is not likely 

 to perish f'rom hot sun and drought after bar- 

 vest, wlien it is exposed to the sun. And it 

 will be as proportionably better as will also be 

 the wheat. 



CORN CULTIVATION.* 



Corn being the largest of the Cereal crops 

 grown in this country, makes it one of the 

 most important. There, is no field crop which 

 the farmer can rely on with so much certainty 

 as that of corn, it having so few enemies. 

 Evidently there was but one kind originally, 

 but its tendency to spread and increase, has 

 produced so many varieties, that when we say 

 corn it .seems necessary to define what variety 

 we mean. These in<dnde large aud small 

 gourd, white and yellow flint, besides many 

 other kinds, grown from selected seed to fixed 

 varieties to suit the fancy of growers. Sugar 

 and popcorn, of which there are (piite a mnn- 

 bcr of varieties, have no doubt sprung from 

 the same original stock. With a rich and 

 porous soil and a high temperature, a corn 

 crop will seldom if ever be a failure, except 

 from extreme drought. 



Preparation of Soil. 

 A clover sod two or three years old is, as a 

 rule, the best ground for a corn crop. Deep 

 plowing is important to insure success. Tlie 

 ground must, however, have been jilowed 

 deep, aud thoroughly fertilized previously, as 

 the turning up of sub.soil that li.as never been 

 on the surface is in many cases more injurious 

 than beneficial. Subsoiiing is much better in 

 stiff cla\', than turning the subsoil upon the 

 surface. In sandy or other loose and porous 

 soils it may not be important to plow deep, 

 but as a rule corn requires a deep, rich and 

 rather porous soil. 



When to P ow. 

 Fall and spring both have their advocates. 

 Where there is an aljundance of vegetable 

 matter the former is generally preferred, as it 

 is pretty certain to destroy a l)rood of cut- 

 worms, which ofttimes make sad havoc among 

 young corn. Fall plowing will also Ijear more 

 drought than that plowed in the spring, un- 

 less the latter is plowed (piito early, which 

 some soils will uot permit. 



Preparation of Ground. 

 It is well known that corn, allhongh it may 

 germinate, will not Hourish in cold earth, 

 therefore the ground must l)e thoroughly cul- 

 tivated and harrowed several times, and be 

 put in fine friable condition, so as to permit 

 tlie sun's rays to penetrate and warm it; this 

 should be attended to as early as the ground 

 will permit without closing, especially in sec- 

 tions where the whole season is required to 

 mature the crop. 



Time of Planting. 

 This depends very much ui)on the weather, 

 variety of corn aud condition of soil; but 

 never jdant until the weather is mild and the 

 ground warm and dry. 



Proper Selection of Seed. 

 This should lie attended to in the field, at or 

 before busking time. In the selection of seed 

 lies one of the most important points in suc- 

 cessful corn culture, as it is possible to run it 

 into almost auy size, .shape, color or quality 

 desirable, and nearly as early as we wish, or 

 so late that it would not mature at all. While 

 there are some farmers who seem satisfied to 



•Keail before the Lancaster Cnuuty AgricuUural ami 

 Horticultural Society by H. M. Eugle, 



grow corn of which two bushels of ears will 

 not make oint bushel of shelled corn, there are 

 others who by proper selection have improved 

 Iheiis, so that on<! and a half bushels of ears 

 will sliidl a bushel of corn. There is plenty of 

 corn raised of which the cob is nearly as thick 

 as the ear, while there are other kinds of which 

 the h'ligth of the giain is very neiurly that of 

 the diameter of the cob U|ion whicli it grew. 

 In these extieines there must also be great 

 ditTerence of yield per acre. It may be claimed 

 that the largest corn will yield an excess of 

 bulk of ears suflicieiit to make up for loss of 

 shelling, but this is not generally correct. I 

 will, however, admit that the large gourd, al- 

 though having a large cob, has also long 

 grains, which will yield largely in the ear and 

 also turn out well in shelling, but it has (like 

 all kinds with large cobs) also large stalks 

 whicli reijuire more room to grow, and richer 

 soil to produce a crop than the smaller kinds, 

 and ill addition requires a longer season to 

 mature and is always of light weight. The 

 small cob varieties having smaller stocks, may 

 be iilanted closer, and will produce a croi) on 

 lioorer soil and mature in a shorter .season, 

 seldom having any softiMrn, will shell more to 

 bulk, weighing heavier, aud will feed further 

 than the large kinds. 1 have, however, special 

 reference to the large and small gourds, the 

 eight rowed kinds not being much grown in 

 this section. 



Fui; the above reasons I consider the small 

 yellow gourd seed the most desirable of all the 

 varieties that have come under my observa- 

 tion; not only for the corn, but also for the 

 superiority of the fodder, which is not so coarse 

 aud unwieldy as the large kinds. With the 

 best kind, however, vigilance is required iu 

 selecting seed, and to bring and keep it to the 

 highest standard of excellence. This can be 

 done only by selecting the best formed and 

 most perfect ears, which should be well ripen- 

 ed, of as near regular thickness from luitl to 

 point as po.ssible, and nicely rounded at both 

 ends, with the grain as long in proportion to 

 thickness of cob as possible. The surface of 

 the ear shoukl be smooth and close, having 

 no grooves between the rows of grain. When 

 two >)r more perfect ears are found on a stalk, 

 they should be secured, as from continued se- 

 lection of such, it may eventually establish a 

 fixed variety. I have no doubt that by proper 

 Selection, if continued, any desired tyiie can be 

 established from any of the present kinds, 

 whether we desire white or black, red or yel- 

 low, long or short, thick or thin ears, thick or 

 thin cobs, rough or smooth grains. 



In short, almost anything within the limits 

 of corn may be olitained, and when a fixed 

 kind is established, and strictly kejit to that 

 standard for a long period, it will not readily 

 vary, but in stock breeders' language, becomes 

 thoroughbred. 



Methods of Planting. 

 For large plantations the machine planter 

 is the most exjieditious aud economical, but 

 with the hoe the liest job can be made, and 

 for this purpose will never be superseded, as 

 each bill can be planted the proper depth, 

 aud no stone, clod or rubbi.sli ever cover the 

 seed ; either of these will injure the corn as it 

 comes up, from which it will seldom if ever 

 recover. The hoe, ofcour.se, caii only lie used 

 to advantage in hill planting, which should 

 always be checkered and cultivated both ways, 

 although it is conceded that the largest crops 

 have been grown in drills, yet the largest 

 average is from checkered, and for the only 

 reason that the latter is generally better culti- 

 vated and kept clear of weeds. 



Corn should never be iilauted too deep nor 

 covered too thick ; one inch of mellow ground 

 is lielter than more, as all seed comes up 

 stronger and heartier when only sutficiently 

 covered to germinate. Corn thus planted is 

 more likely to be pulled np by birds, but a 

 slight coating of coal tar has never failed to 

 protect me from feathered liilferers. 



Distance of iilanting depends very much on 

 variety. As aliove stated, the larfje growing 

 kinds recpiire more room than the small. The 

 latter will do as well with three feet square to 



