THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



57 



way it requires one horse and four hands to plant 

 the corn: one to strike the furrows, one to drop 

 and two to cover. In order that the dropping 

 may proceed, as fast as the horse walks, and not 

 delay those who cover, the dropper must be very 

 busily engaged, and he cannot take pains in 

 dropping either to place the hills in the furrows 

 so as to line each way, or to regulate the num- 

 ber of grains in the hill. It is a necessary con- 

 sequence of the manner in which it is done that 

 the hills will generally contain too many grains, 

 (which must be pulled out after the corn gets 

 up,) and that the hills in one way will not be in 

 straight rows, which makes it very difficult to 

 plough and tend the corn in the direction of the 

 crooked rows. 



You are aware how inveterately most farmers 

 will pursue their old habit, and how slowly the 

 most obvious improvements are generally intro- 

 duced amongst the farmers ; and how difficult it 

 is to convince them, that there is any better 

 method than that which they were taught in 

 early life, and have pursued from their youth up. 



These prejudices, however, are fast fading 

 away, and better practices are beginning to be 

 introduced by the aid of an increased diffusion 

 of science and intelligence amongst the farmers. 



Among the many improvements which are 

 now gradually coming into general use, is that 

 of raising corn in drills, instead of the old me- 

 thod, in hills. It is very evident, that a greater 

 quantity of corn can be raised on an acre in 

 drills than by the common method ; and this 

 may result in two ways. When only the same 

 number of stalks of corn are grown on an acre, 

 it is evident that by distributing the stalks along 

 the line of the drill, instead of crowding them 

 together in hills, they can obtain more food from 

 the soil, and they will be better exposed to the 

 influence of the sun and atmosphere, and con- 

 sequently will yield a greater crop. But it has 

 been repeatedly proven by actual trial, that a 

 greater number of stalks, and consequently more 

 ears of corn can be raised on an acre by plant- 

 ing in drills than by the common method. 



An acre planted in hills four feet apart, and 

 four stalks in a hill, will have 2,722 hills, or 

 10,888 stalks ; and if each stalk produces only 

 one good ear on an average, and 100 of such 

 ears make a half bushel of shelled corn, the 

 produce of an acre will be 54£ bushels. 



An acre planted in drills three feet apart, and 

 the stalks standing six inches apart in the rows, 

 will have 29,040 stalks ; and the produce of the 

 acre, at the same rate as above will be 145} 

 bushels. 



An acre planted in drills of double rows, six 

 inches apart, and the drills three feet nine inches 

 from centre to centre will have 30,970 stalks ; 

 and the produce of the acre, at the same rates 

 as above will be 154$ bushels. 



The above examples shov; most clearly by 

 Vol. VI.— 8 



actual calculation, the great advantage there is 

 in drilling over the old system, in the greater 

 number of stalks, and increased quantity of corn, 

 independent of the other advantages above stated, 

 of more food and better exposure to the sun and 

 air. 



We will now see what has been done by ac- 

 tual experience, in raising corn by the drill 

 system. 



E. Cornel], Itheca, Tompkins County, , New 

 York, raised an acre of the variety, called brown 

 corn, the produce of which, was 105 bushels 15 

 pounds. This corn was planted the first week 

 in June ; and a portion failing to come up, was 

 re-planted on the 12th of June. The rows were 

 three feet apart, and hills ten inches apart in 

 the rows. — From the Transactions of the Nev) 

 York State Agricultural Society. Quoted in Gen. 

 Farmer, Vol. V. page- 18, 1844. 



Asa Williams, of the town of Barre, Orleans 

 County, New York, raised a premium crop of 

 corn, in the year 1843 ; the following extract 

 is from his own statement. The land was 

 "ploughed twice — once each way, about the 6th 

 day of May; about the 10th, planted furrows 

 in rows about two feet apart, and hills about one 

 foot apart in the row — three kernels in each hillv 

 It was hoed three times, making as little hill as 

 possible, and no cultivator or drag was used on 

 it. The committee of the Agricultural Society- 

 came to the field and measured off one acre. — ■ 

 They counted the rows in the acre, and then 

 selected one row, which they deemed to be an 

 average row. They then appointed a man to 

 husk and shell it ; the product was measured, 

 and the crop on the acre from the product of 

 this row, was estimated at one hundred and fifty- 

 seven bushels and thirty quarts, by measure ; and 

 by weight, at 154 bushels, 21 pounds." — Gen. 

 Farmer , Vol. V. page 43, 1844. 



B. Butler, Esq., of Chenango County, New 

 York, raised 140 bushels of corn from one acre. 

 The land was ploughed but once, but this was 

 done in the best manner. Rolled and harrowed 

 with the furrow. The corn was planted on the 

 22d and 23d of May, in double drills three and 

 a half feet from centre to centre. The plants 

 standing singly from twelve to thirteen inches 

 apart on the main drill.— Gen. Farmer, Vol. V. 

 page 43, 1844. 



These examples are sufficient to show the 

 correctness of the calculations made above, and 

 the great advantage which the drill system pos- 

 sesses over the common method of planting in 

 hills. The drill system likewise presents an- 

 other important advantage, by the facility with 

 which its operations may be performed by means 

 of labor-saving machinery. 



This communication is intended as an intro- 

 duction to another (should this be published) in 

 which I propose to give a description of a plant- 

 ing- machine, which I have been engaged this 



