THE SOUTHEBN PLANTER. 



71 



more inferior kind from the North ; I mean the 

 little flint. The only plea for the culture of this 

 corn in Virginia, is its superior weight, and early 

 maturity. But I prefer a house full and a hig 

 blade stack, to a crib full, and a little blade stack. 

 It is true, nevertheless, that in many places West 

 of the Blue Ridge, and on some elevated places 

 on the East side, the Northern flint corn should 

 be planted; because here the altitude or locality 

 creates a similitude to the more Northern lati- 

 tudes. The flint corn properly belongs to a more 

 Northern climate (with the exceptions above al- 

 luded to) and there it should remain. 



The proper seed corn for old. Virginia, is the 

 improved gourd seed; and if the reader does 

 not understand whatl mean by improved gourd 

 seed, just let him look into his own corn house, 

 as well as the houses of all his neighbors, and 

 thence pick out the longest grain and the lar- 

 gest ear he can find ; which being planted sepa- 

 rate from any other, and from the offspring of 

 which pick and plant again and again, and I 

 warrant him a first rate improved gourd seed. 

 About 40 years ago I put this plan into execu- 

 tion, and I have ever been proud of the result. 

 No matter whetherthe grain be white or yellow, 

 but I beseech you beware of ring-streaked, 

 speckled and spotted ; for as soon would I have 

 my flock of sheep mixed up black and white, 

 long legs and short lege, fine wool and coarse 

 wool. 



Planting — Reason and experience both teach 

 us that corn can be planted so thick, that al- 

 though the yield of plant is most abundant, yet 

 the grain will be wanting. And that if, on the 

 contrary, only one or two hundred plants be 

 cultivated to the acre, the ears will be large but 

 the grain will be deficient in quantity. It is 

 therefore evident that experience can only teach 

 us what number of plants should be alloted to 

 the aere. 



Long experience has taught me that the im- 

 proved gourd seed corn will grow from S to 16 

 feet high, according to the quality of the land; 

 averaging say 11 feet high. The rows should 

 be as wide as half the height of the corn, say 

 5-^ feet; and the plants on the row 15 to 16 

 inches; which would give about 6000 plants to 

 the acre. 



Corn should be planted thick enough to en- 

 sure a Rill possession of the ground by the roots; 

 or in other words, the roots should be so nume- 

 rous as to penetrate every inch of ground, passing, 

 crossing and lapping in every direction. And 

 as it is known that the roots of corn Will extend 

 ia proportion to the height of the plant, go let it 

 bo remembered that if it is expected that the 

 planted corn will only grow six feet high, the 

 rows should only be half this, say three feet 

 apart; but in all cases I would make the dis- 

 tance between the plants the same, say 15 or 

 16 inches; thus increasing the number of plants 

 in proportion to their diminished height. 



Corn needs all the sun it can get to the ground 

 from the time of its planting tdl it is in the tas- 

 sel ; but after this the sun only on the plant will 

 suffice. After corn has arrived to tasseling it 



needs all the water it cm get, and the profuse 

 shade from thick planting will prevent evapo- 

 ration. 



On rich land planted as above recommended, 

 and properly cultivated till the corn is in the 

 tassel, I defy a weed, or a pumpkin or pea to 

 grow. Indeed how can they grow when the 

 corn has full possession ? 



If one requires to be informed how ground 

 should be prepared for the heaviest possible 

 crop of corn, I would advise the spreading of 

 a heavy coat of manure, and turning it under 

 about knee deep; then another coat of manure 

 and plough again ; then pulverize, manure in 

 the hill, and plant. Cultivate the crop in the 

 best manner, and if you do not make 200 bushels 

 to the acre, it is because the crop suffered for 

 rain, or other water, after getting in the tassel. 

 Corn is a gross feeder, and therefore no danger 

 of a gorge of food, provided a proportionate 

 quantity of water is also given. 



Old Man. 



Amherst, Feb., 1856. 



PROFITABLE FARMING IN THE NORTHERN 

 NECK. 



A farmer in the Northern Neck of Va., 

 from an estate which, only several years since, 

 cost .$13,000, has, during the present year, 

 thrown into this market its products, yielding 

 him the very handsome nett sum of $10,500. 



Aside from the unusually remunerating 

 prices of our staple productions, during the 

 past twelve months, there is perhaps no sec- 

 tion of the State in which the Agriculturist 

 secures a more satisfactory return for the in- 

 vestment for capital and labor, than is realized 

 in that peninsula range of country between the 

 Potomac river on one side and the navigable 

 Rappahannock on the other. Its rare facil- 

 ities for intercourse with all the prominent 

 markets ; the abundance and cheapness of the 

 means of good living, added to the intelligence, 

 refinement, and the thoroughly old Virginian 

 hospitality of its people, are inviting to it, par- 

 ticularly in the lower counties, a description 

 of immigration which, we understand, is of a 

 very desirable character. — Alex. Sentinel. 



THE PHYSICAL AND INTELLECTUAL PLEAS- 

 URES OF FARMING. 



In what does the secret consist of finding 

 any real substantial pleasure in the operations 

 of farming? Among other things you name 

 " the monotonous business of holding the plow 

 from early in the morning to late in the even- 

 ing." As too commonly conducted, I grant 

 that plowing is not a j-arii-nl. t gre ible bus- 

 iness, and that you \vd\v Ascribed i (.tpte 

 tersely. Too many pic. > > I 

 no thought about the true ;"j . . ■. 



pies of their business, are t i ■< 



