ABOUT FRUITS, FLOWERS AND FARMIXG. 375 



the intermediate spaces, hills, etc., be lapped in by the 

 loose earth, occasioned by this system of close plowing, as 

 to render any other work useless for a time. I thin to four 

 stalks upon a hill, never having to transplant, the second 

 plowing being performed with the moldboard toward the 

 rows of corn ; and so rapid has been the growth of the corn 

 between the first and second plowings, that this is per- 

 formed with ease ; and when in this stage, I consider my 

 crop safe my general rule being, never to plow my corn 

 more than four times, and harrow once. My practice is, to 

 put a field in corn two successive years, then grass it, and 

 let it lie eight years a rule from which I never deviate. 

 Now, I do not pretend that the labor bestowed upon a sod- 

 field to put it in a state of thorough cultivation, does not 

 meet with a fair equivalent from one crop ; but I presume 

 no farmer will doubt when I say the second year's crop 

 from sod land is better than the first, with not more than one 

 half the labor. The best system of farming is to produce the 

 greatest amount of profit from the smallest amount of labor." 



Now what are the essentials of this method ? 



First Fertility of soil, kept up by his system of manur- 

 ing and grass, of which we shall not speak. 



Second Early planting. In consequence of this, the 

 corn matures before the dry season commences, and every 

 farmer knows that plenty of rain will make a good crop of 

 corn in almost any soil. They all know that the essential 

 thing* for corn is rain, and there is generally plenty of rain 

 till about the 1st of July. Mr. Young might plant his corn 

 considerably later and have it come up as early, and grow 

 off more rapidly, by soaking it in a solution of saltpetre. 

 Thus would the effect of frost and chilly mornings be in a 

 degree avoided, while we feel confident, from our own expe- 

 rience, all injury from the cut-worm would be avoided. 



Third Close planting. Every farmer must know that 

 to produce the heaviest possible crop, a certain number of 

 stalks must be upon the ground. It is often observed that 



