39 



common practice of shelling off and rejecting the grain both at the 

 tip and butt of the ear is to be strongly recommended. The kernels 

 of these portions of the ear are often abnormal in shape and in size. 

 If the}^ germinate, they are likely to produce more feeble plants than 

 the normal full-sized kernels of the other parts of the ear. Moreover, 

 if the corn is to be planted by machine and in hills, it is a very great 

 advantage to have the kernels of substantial!}^ even size and shape, 

 for then the machine can be adjusted to drop precisely the required 

 number, — for example, four kernels to the hill; and well-made 

 machines Avill do this in about 95 out of 100 hills, and in the balance 

 of the hills there will be only a very small variation. If, on the other 

 hand, the grain from the tips and butts is included, the number of 

 kernels dropped per hill will be quite uneven. Special treatment of 

 seed grain with a view to protecting it either from insects or the rav- 

 ages of the crows and other birds is sometimes adopted, but is not to 

 be recommended if it can be avoided, for germination is better without. 

 If something must be done to protect from crows, the best method 

 seems to be first to soak the corn in hot water, then to allow the corn 

 to drain ofT, and while it is still warm and moist stir in a very small 

 quantity of tar. The amount used should be sufficient only to coat each 

 kernel with an extremely thin film. Plaster or air-slaked lime should 

 then be added in sufficient quantity to dry the grain, .^ny excess of 

 lime or plaster can be sifted out. If the work is properly done, this 

 treatment interferes but little either with planting or with the germina- 

 tion of the seed. Numerous experiments have been tried to determine 

 whether hill or drill planting will give more satisfactory yields. Pro- 

 \'ided the total number of plants on a given area is substantially even, 

 no great differences in product have been noted. On our New England 

 fields, which are often comparatively rough, it is difficult to plant 

 satisfactorily with a machine in hills; but there are a number of good 

 machines which do excellent work in drill planting, which in the 

 writer's judgment is likely on the whole to be most satisfactory. The 

 distance between plants in rows and the number of plants in a hill 

 must vary with the variety. For the ordinary types of field corn suited 

 to the climate of New England, hills about 3^ feet apart in each direc- 

 tion and with three to four plants in a hill, or drills 3^ feet apart with 

 plants standing on the average about 10 inches apart in the drill 

 will generall)^ be found satisfactory distances. As is generally under- 

 stood, nothing, is gained in planting corn exceptionally early. The 

 Indian rule, to plant when the leaves of the oak are as large as the 

 ears of a squirrel, seems to be as good a rule as any. 



Tillage. 



This article has already reached such length that any extended 

 discussion of methods of tillage would carry it beyond the assigned 

 limits. Modern methods of tillage are, however, in general pretty well 

 imderstood. It is recognized that the policy should be to prevent 

 weeds from growing, not to destroy weeds; that it is highly important 

 to maintain a surface mulch of fine, mellow earth (dust mulch, as it is 

 often called). Accordingly, the smoothing harrow is not infrequently 

 used in the corn field, sometimes before the grain is up. Later, and 

 until the grain reaches a height of several inches, weeders are em- 

 ployed; and when the corn becomes so large that the use of these 

 would seriously injure it, cultivators are set to work. It is now gen- 

 erally recognized that shallow-working cultivators which do not ridge 

 the earth are preferable to any other form. Level culture will ordina- 



