230 THE SMALL COUNTRY PLACE 



ter, while of the best quality, is rather difficult to grow, 

 as it is subject to the celery leaf-blight. 



SWEET CORN. 



Sweet corn is grown more as a farm-garden crop than 

 as a market-garden crop. Only one crop can be grown on 

 the land where corn is cultivated, as it takes nearly the 

 entire season for it to grow to maturity. It makes a good 

 crop with which to reseed land that has been long in 

 cultivation, or to break up coarse land and fit it for 

 market-garden crops. Sweet corn is largely grown near 

 canning factories, and the fodder is utilized in making 

 milk. The early crop is generally the most profitable, 

 and a warm southern exposure and a rich warm soil is 

 necessary to produce this. The land should be plowed 

 the fall before and again in the spring and thoroughly 

 fitted. If planted very early, furrow out three feet each 

 way, making the furrows rather deep. Then at the in- 

 tersections of the furrows place one or two shovelfuls of 

 fine heating horse manure. If this is very dry or the land 

 is not decidedly moist, tread it down and cover with 

 two or three inches of fine soil and plant six to eight 

 kernels in each hill. Cover very lightly if the soil is wet, 

 but an inch or more if dry, and press the soil firmly 

 about the kernels. 



There is not much gained in very early planting 

 unless the soil is well warmed by the sun or stable 

 manure, but a crop may sometimes be planted as early 

 as May ist at the North with the chance of its escaping 

 late frosts, in which case it will be very profitable. A 

 second planting should follow this in a week, which 

 often will mature nearly as early as the first. 



Frequent cultivation must be given, and if the weeder 

 is used several times after the cultivator the crop may 

 be grown without the use of the hand-hoe. 



