394 



NEW ENGLAND FARRIER. 



Aug. 



around the inner side of the trench, and again 

 fill in the soil. Make sure that no strong lat- 

 eral roots or duplicate tap roots are left uncut." 



For the Kew England Farmer. 

 KAISINQ CORN IN CANADA. 

 This is rather a cold country for corn, and 

 it is not expected that we can raise such large 

 crops as can be raised further south or west. 

 But I believe that Indian corn, properly cared 

 for, can be made very remunerative even m 

 this cold climate. 



Take green sward and plow in the fall, the 

 earlier the .better. I have tried two ways of 

 manuring.' First, put on liberally of good 

 barn yard manure before plowing ; and, sec- 

 ond, applying the manure after plowing. I do 

 not know which is best for the corn; but the 

 land will produce grass longer when manured 

 after the first mentioned manner. 



I never plow in the spring before planting ; 

 I had rather that the sod would lay and de- 

 compose under the corn, as I believe it helps 

 its growth, but do not spare the harrow. 

 When the land is in good tilth, furrow with a 

 plow about three and one-half feet apart, into 

 which manure is placed at suitable distances 

 for the hills and immediately covered with a 

 hoe, so as to keep the moisture from evapor- 

 ating This manure for the hills is prepared 

 in the following manner. My hog pen is so 

 situated that 1 can throw all the manure from 

 my hor^c barn and from the privy directly 

 into the yard of the hog pen. Besides this, all 

 the chamber slops are thrown upon this ma- 

 nure. In the fall, after killing the fat hogs, 

 the manure is thrown out by the side of the 

 yard. Early in April what is made during the 

 winter by the store hogs, is thrown out on to 

 the fall made, when the heap will immediately 

 commence heating. In about three weeks 

 begin at one side of this heap with fork and 

 shovel, and turn it all over, mixing that mude 

 in the fall thorou^dily with that made in the 

 winter. From this compost heap, put about 

 ei"-ht or ten cart loads, of thirty to thirty-live 

 bitshcls to the load, to each acre. I have tried 

 various kinds of manure, but find the above 

 the best. I believe just as good as all hog 

 manure. 



If the manure is allowed to dry up after 

 bein"- put in the hill, the corn will not come 

 up so readily. 1 put my seed corn into warm 

 water the night before planting. In the morn- 

 ing, dry the corn so that it will not stick to- 

 getiier'by i)utting plaster or wood ashes to it. 

 This causes the seed to come up much (luickcr 

 than it would if planted dry, as it gives the 

 germ a start. 



I have planted corn on ground prepared as 

 above lor a good many years, and seldom lad 

 of a good crop. In 1805 I had one and three 

 fourths acres from which I gathered two hun- 

 dred and fifty bushels of ears good sound corn. 



Not so large a crop as we frequently read of; 

 but considering the climate and the distance 

 north, I think it a good crop, at least remuner- 

 ative, especially as I also raised about six 

 bushels of beans among the corn, and a large 

 quantity of pumpkins on the same land. Now 

 the fodder when well harvested I believe will 

 pay for harvesting the crop of corn. _ When 

 the corn is prettyVell advanced in ripening, 

 or immediately after the first frost, or before 

 a stoim of rain, my method is to cut it all up 

 close to the ground, and then set it up in 

 stooks, tying a band of straw around the tops 

 after liringing them together. This will keep 

 the storms from hurting it. Let it stand two 

 or three weeks, then pick the ears from the 

 stalks and husk them immediately, or at your 

 leisure, and bind up the stalks and house them 

 in places where they will not hurt, and my 

 word for it you will have as fine fodder as you 

 can wish. It will make cows give as much 

 milk as the best of English hay ; at least, this 

 is my experience. It always pains me to see 

 corn fodder left in the field to waste, as many 

 farmers leave it. I do not know as we ought 

 to call such men farmers. 



Some farmers are always complaining that 

 they cannot keep the crows from pulling their 

 corn after it comes up. I used to be troubled 

 somewhat in that way ; but for several years 

 I have not had one stalk pulled up. I take 

 cotton twine or woolen yarn, and run it clear 

 round my piece, fixing it to stakes five or six 

 feet from the ground. I have so much faiih in 

 the above remedy, that if farmers would do it 

 before their corn is up, I should not be afraid 

 to say that I would give them twenty-five cents 

 for every spear the crows pull up. I think it 

 an excellent plan to put, after the first hoeing, 

 al)Out one-half pint of unleached wood ashes 

 among the spears of corn in each hill. Be 

 sure to hoe so as not to let weeds have the 

 supremacy, as they take the nourishment that 

 should support the corn. Hiram French. 

 Eaton, a. E., 18G7. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 NOTES ON THE CONNECTICDT VAL- 

 LEY.— No. III. 

 The Old Orchards. 



A feeling of sadness comes over me as I 

 observe the unmistakable evidences on every 

 hand of the decay of the old fiuit orchards, 

 and the absence of well directed efforts in 

 planting and fostering new ones to supply their 

 place. °^Vithin my recollection Hartford ex- 

 ported large quantities of apples and cider. 

 Much of its cider found its way to a southern 

 city where I resided. Now ai>plcs are not 

 only reipiired from other States to sujiijIv the 

 cities, but many are required for the villages 

 and farming communities. 



Neglected and abused, as most orchards are, 

 it is not surprising that trees do not llourish 

 and that fruit fails. Trees require more care- 



