164 



By adopting the following; method I 

 have been more successful in growing 

 corn than any other that has come under 

 my personal observation. 



In preparing the ground spread on a 

 very liberal coat of manure before plough- 

 ing ; that taken from, the cow stable is 

 preferable on my land, (a gravelly soil.) 

 Deep ploughing will produce a greater 

 growth in the latter part of the- season, 

 though the corn may not start quite as 

 soon in the early part cf summer. Cul- 

 tivate or drag the ground with the fur- 

 rows, that the grass may remain under. 



Mark the ground three fee^ each way. 

 Deep marking I have not found as good 

 as light. Sometimes soaking seed will 

 facilitate its growth, though generally I 

 choose to plant my seed dry. 



As soon as your com is up so you can 

 see the rows, start a cultivator — gothrough 

 each way — take the weeds and grass 

 from the hill, and give the corn a light 

 earthing. When you have got through 

 this process, put on your plaster. The 

 remaining team work for the season. should 

 be done with the plough, in order to bring 

 up the sou 1 to the rays of the sun, and 

 also within reach of the fibres cf corn 

 that are despatched in every direction 

 from the hill to secure nutriment for* the 

 stalk. Before hoeing the last lime a li- 

 beral quantity of wood ashes should be 

 applied to each hill. The plaster will 

 produce a good growth of stalks — the 

 ashes will greatly increase the number of 

 ears and add to the length and filling out 

 of the same. 



I have tried manuring in the hill, but 

 in dry seasons it will not do as well. I 

 have also tried putting lime, ashes and 

 plaster in the hill, then dropping the-seed 

 on that and covering it in that way' — but 

 with no: very good success. 



J; D. G. 



Locke, March, 1S47. 



FENCES. 



Stone fences are not to be sneezed at, 

 especially by Western farmers who have 

 no stone to construct them with, for there 



is none more durable or more safe, and I 

 hold that a good fence on alarm is better 

 than opium to make the owner sleep at 

 night. He feels safe that he shall not 

 wake up and find a whole drove of horses, 

 cattle, sheep and hogs holding festival in 

 his- corn and wheat fields. 



There are many who would be aston- 

 ished to learn with what slim and con- 

 temptible means, what mere chips and 

 shivers of stone^ a good and lasting fence 

 can be made. Let me enlighten you, 

 dear reader. In the first place, in the 

 line of your fence, sink and embed all the* 

 large boulders and ugly shaped hard 

 heads firmly in the earth then fill up the 

 vacancies between with the next worst 

 ones, till you form a pretty uniform course. 

 Then commence with the small ones, even 

 if it takes three or four to make the width,, 

 and constantly interpose headers of white 

 cedar, chestnut, or oak; if no larger in 

 diameter than your two fingers, they will 

 answer. Build it quite buttering, as the 

 masons say, — 30 inches to 3 feet at the 

 bottom, and at \\ feet high, i foot. Now 

 the next requisite to make the wall stand,, 

 and it is impervious, is to save and select 

 from your materials a sufficient quantity 

 to cap the whole. They should be a cle- 

 verly large size, considerably larger than 

 a piece of chalk ; in short, they should 

 either be a foot, long, so as to reach across, 

 or one foot wide, and the longer the better, 

 If not as fiat as is desirable, chink and 

 cobble uphill they lay firm and secure. 



Fences built of these light materials 

 do not answer so well to set posts and in* 

 crease their height by adding a couple of 

 narrow boards, as the winds have too 

 much power to disturb the structure. — • 

 But in those cases where stone enough 

 cannot be found to build the entire fence 

 a very pretty expedient is resorted to. — - 

 At about 6 inches from the ground a sill 

 of 3 by 4 scantling or other wood is laid 

 into the wall, projecting beyond it about 

 3 inches at each end — far enough to. 

 make a two-inch auger hole at the same 

 angle as the wall, in which are fitted two 

 stakes or rounds, writh one or more yokes 

 of two inch stuff, bored and fitted on, to 

 lay on poles or rails— or another short 



V 



