278 Transactions of the American Institute. 



tility. If the usual tiuie for planting Indian corn occurs about the 

 middle of May, and the ground is not in the best condition for 

 being plowed, better defer planting till after the first of June, 

 rather than to plow the ground and put in the seed too early in the 

 season. 



There is never anything gained, but a great loss sustained, l)y 

 plowing the land — especially heavy and foul laud — too early in 

 the spring, after the growing season has commenced. The main 

 idea is, to defer plowing the ground and planting the seied, until 

 the whole earth has been warmed by the sun to such a degree that 

 the seed will vegetate quickly, and the young plants grow rapidly. 

 If the seed be put in too early, the young plants are apt to get 

 chilled by cold nights and chilling storms of rain. The first step 

 toward producing a remunerating crop of Indian corn is to prepare 

 the land. If every portion of a given field is not sufficiently dry, 

 let under-drains be made, so as to relieve the soil of all surplus 

 water. If necessary, let the entire month of May be occupied in 

 rendering the soil dry. A bountiful crop of Indian corn cannot be 

 raised where the laud is charged with an excess of moisture during 

 the former part of the growing season. Another point of eminent 

 importance is, to defer plowing the ground until the seed is ready 

 to be put in, as late plowing, especially where the ground is 

 infested -with noxious weeds, will save all the labor of one hoeing 

 of the young plants. When the land is plowed, let the plowman 

 commence in the middle of the field, and turn the furrow slices all 

 inward. By this manner of plowing, all ridges half broken up, and 

 middle furrows, will be avoided. If the soil rests on a heavy and 

 cold substratum of calcareous clay, do not plow too deep with the 

 common plow. A subsoil plow may be employed when the ground 

 is of this character, with satisfactory results. Another considera- 

 tion, indispensably requisite, is manure of some kind. If coarse 

 barn-yard manure be the only fertilizer employed, let it be spread 

 broadcast, and plowed mider as soon as it is spread. If there is a 

 sufficient amount of manure to cover a ten-acre field one inch deep, 

 better spread it on five acres, and plant only half the field, than to 

 attempt to cultivate ten acres with only a light sprinkling of coarse 

 fertilizing material, as more grain may be grown on five acres, 

 when heavily manured, than on ten acres haviug only a light dress- 

 ing of fertilizing material. If the corn is to be manured in the 

 hill with guano, rawbone superphosphate, or with hen manure, it 

 ■will pay to remove the soil where each hill is to grow, and spread 



