PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 263 



put them back again three weeks, and then take them out and 

 dry them thoroughly before smoking, which is done in an airy 

 smoke house, with cobs and maple or hickory chips. It is then 

 a most delicious article of food. In smoking, be careful to keep 

 your hams cool ; never allow fire enough to heat the meat. 



Mr. Brice. — About working hogs, I will state that a friend of 

 mine made a tread-mill in which to work hogs, so arranged that 

 it dropped corn forward of the hog, which he strained after, and 

 in so doing pushed the wheel back. 



PERSIMMON SEED FROM JEDDO. 



Dr. Lockwood presented some persimmon seed from Jeddo, 

 which he requested Mr. Carpenter to plant. 



THE ROOTS or CORN. 



Judge Meigs. — I once saw where the rain had washed away all 

 the earth from the corn, so that I had an opportunity of seeing 

 the immense number of small rootlets ; the soil was completely 

 filled — not an inch of space without roots. 



PLANTING POTATOES IN SEPTEMBER. 



Mr. Carpenter related a fact of a neighbor of his planting po- 

 tatoes in September. They grew till killed with frost, and he 

 then covered the hills with a foot of manure. The tubers con- 

 tinued to increase in size during the winter. 



HILLING CORN. 



Andrew S. Fuller. — I want to know why hilling corn is not 

 beneficial. All increase of mellow earth about the. roots makes 

 plants grow luxuriantly. Does it not do the same with the corn ? 

 Now, I want to know why hilling is not beneficial ? 



Mr. Carpenter. — It shuts out the air from the roots, which 

 need to come to the surface, as well as to have plenty of earth. 



'Mr. Pardee. — It is probable that the hilling up, throws the 

 plant into the necessity of a new process, just as it does fruit 

 trees. It is only deep-planted trees that throw out suckers. 

 By hilling up we produce unnatural action in the plants. 



Mr. Fuller. — In horticulture we are constantly trying to im- 

 prove upon nature. It istiot planting deep that produces suckers 

 upon trees. If a graft is set upon sucker stocks^ those trees will 

 produce an abundance of suckers. I do not advocate deep plant- 

 ing of trees, or hilling corn; I only ask for reasons for doing or 

 not doing it. I trim trees, root or top, to produce a proper 

 equilibrium. 



