Proceedings of the Farmers^ Club. 337 



Planting Cokn too Early. 



Mr. David Petit, of Salem, K. J. — In yonr proceedings of IsLiij 4, 

 L. A. Pobertson, Delaware Station, N. J., inquires : " What's the 

 matter with the corn ? It comes np very nnevenly in regard to 

 time ; that that comes up latest looks feeble and unhealthy, and by 

 tlie time of the last plowing is not more than six inches high, the 

 ends of the leaves dying, and on being pnlled up only a few slender 

 roots are found near the surfiice of the ground." 



As I have had experience with corn answering to the above 

 description, permit me to offer a few remarks thereon, with a remedy 

 for the future. This appearance, with the result described, rarely 

 happens on sod ground, or on sandy land, but prevails on land that 

 has been one year or more under cultivation. Manure will not 

 remedy it, as has been suggested, as I have tried manuring in the hill 

 without effect ; nor is it caused here by worms, as A. S. Fuller says. 

 The real cause is planting such land too early ; when cold and wet 

 weather comes at the time or soon after, the corn comes up lousy at 

 the roots, from which it rarely recovers. The roots that are lousy 

 die in time, which affects the leaves as described above, and unless ' 

 the corn is hilled and is followed by wet weather, to enable it to send 

 out higher roots, the corn may as well be plowed up. I once had a 

 small field of stalk-ground well manured in the hill and planted early 

 with corn, which came up so lousy at the roots that the crop failed 

 entirely. Next year I planted again later with the same result, as 

 the ground had become lousy. I then planted with beans, thinking 

 they would escape, but the lice took them also, and even the 

 weeds were lousy at the roots. I then cultivated the ground 

 without any crop, and succeeded in exterminating the pests The 

 same land has been cropped the five succeeding years without being 

 lonsy. A few years ago I crossed Newcastle county, Delaware, into 

 Chester county, Pennsylvania, when, to speak within bounds, more 

 than half the corn on the route had the appearance of that described 

 by your correspondent. This was about the time it had attained its 

 full size, and it was then of various heights, from a few inches, and 

 dying, up to or near the height of ordinary corn, with every hue of 

 imhealthiness. I would not have such land planted early for me, if 

 I could have it done without cost. The remedy is to plant later. 



Mr. A. S. Fuller. — This is just such a report as we would expect 

 from a section of the country where the farmers advocate and prac- 



[Inst.] 22 



