THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



287 



cattle, as it will endure a greater amount of ex- 

 posure to inclement weather than any corn I 

 have grown, keeping well in the shock through 

 the entire winter. 



This corn does not grow as tall as some other 

 varieties; therefore it will admit of closer plant- 

 ing ; matures from ten days to two weeks earlier 

 than any other corn that grows as large — an im- 

 portant item with farmers Avho wish to sow 

 small grain on corn land. 



It will be seen that this is not the work of a 

 single season, but the profit and satisfaction 

 will annually repay the little extra care and 

 labor. 



A Virginia farmer, in sending some fine corn 

 to the Agricultural Ofiice at Washington, says: 

 "I have for twenty years saved for seed the 

 top year of the stalks that bear two or three 

 ears a piece, and have in this manner improved 

 the corn."* 



A writer in the Soil of the South says: 



"When I commence pulling my corn, I select 

 two of my most trusty fellows, and we go to the 

 best spots of corn, and we select from the stalks 

 of corn which have two years upon them. We 

 take the largest and best-filled ear; where both 

 ears are large ive take. both. And, if we find a 

 stalk with one ear unusually large, we take that. 

 AVe take corn thus selected, slip shuck it, and 

 tie two ears together and swing them across a 

 stick and hang them up i .i the roof of some house, 

 ^here the corn will be kept dry until spring. 

 When I want seed corn for planting, I have it 

 taken down and shucked. I examine every ear- 

 myself, both as to color and soundness, as well as 

 shape of grain. If I am pleased with it, I then, 

 with a hatchet, cut oif the small end, sap one- 

 third of the ear, the balance I have planted. I 

 do not believe, candidly, that I have one rotten 

 ear on an average in a thousand; whether it is 

 attributable to my mode of culture or of selecting 

 my seed corn, or to both, I will not say, but what 

 I have stated is emphatically true.'^ 



This personal attention to the selection of 

 seed is of no little importance. 



A good time to select seed corn is when the 

 corn is cut up in the fall ; direct the hands to 

 leave all standing that have tioo or more large 

 ears low down on the stalk, and all single ears if 

 very large and very low down, or any other 

 peculiarity you may wish. These remain stan'd- 

 ing in the field, and, when the corn is shucked 

 from the shock, select a sufficient number of the 

 best of that left standing, and cut them off with a 

 portion of the stalk and bang them up to the raft- 

 ers of the crib till wanted. This is the easiest 

 method of securing the choice ears of a field, 

 and we think the thorough ripening secured by 

 leaving them standing after the other corn is cut 

 is an object to be desired. The growing of corn 

 is too much of a routine. Every farmer should 

 have some experiment going on in this or some 

 other crop, and follow it up from year to year. 

 In this way some valuable results might be at- 

 tained. We give the followine: as an example 



of what may be done with but little trouble, and 

 to show the efi'ect of different manures. The 

 same experiment should be repeated for several 

 years to make it reliable. It will not do to de- 

 pend upon the results of a single season. There 

 are several other interesting cjuestions in regard 

 to this crop on which we want light: 



Experiments in Growing Indian Corn. — At 

 the late meeting of the Oneida County Agricul- 

 tural Society, a premium of |15 was awarded 

 to Mr. H. II. Eastman, of Marshall, for -a series 

 of experiments with different manures in the cul- 

 ture of Indian corn. We subjoin the statement 

 furnished the society by Mr. Eastman: 



Different kinds Manures Quantity of Weight of Rate 

 ' of manures how manures produce per 

 used. applied. used. in the ear. acre. 



Lhs. Oz.Bu. Lbs. 

 No manure - 30 8 52 50 



Compost* - In hill. Half shovelful. 48 82 68 

 "* -Top hill. " 25 43 15 



Quick lime - In hill. Half handful. 38 8 57 68 

 - Top hill. " 30 52 50 



Gypsum - - In hill. " 86 62 16 



--Top hill. " 33 57 13 



Ashes--- - In hill. Small handful. 30 12 53 10 

 " - - - - Top hill. " 38 8 66 38 



Equal parts 

 lime, gyp- 

 sum and 



ashes - - -. In liill. " 32 4 55 52 



" - - - Top hill. " 35 8 61 25 



Guanot - - In hill. Table spoonful. 20 34 40 

 " - - - Top hill. " 33 8 57 63 



Guano and 

 Super- 

 phosphate 



of Limel:- - In hill. Do. of each. 51 4 88 41 

 - - Top hiil. " 37 63 67 



Super-phos- 

 phate of 



Lime$ - - - In hill. Table spoonful. 37 8 64 57 

 Lime - - - - Top hill. " 45 77 55 



Equal parts 

 poudrette, 

 super-phos- 

 phate of 

 lime and 



guanoll - - In hill. " 43 74 23 



" - - Top hill. " 33 8 57 63 



Poudrette - In hill. Handful. 41 12 72 11 



Night-soil 



composted In hill. Double handful. 33 4 57 33 

 Hog manure " " 49 84 19 



Unfermented 

 horse ma- 

 nure - - - - Half shovelful. 39 12 68 49 



Top hill. " 28 48 28 



Hen manure In hill. HandfuL 48 82 68 



Garb, of lime " " 42 72 42 



No manure - 32 65 32 



♦Composted 4 muck, 4 hog manure, 1 lime and 1 

 ashes. 



t Intermixed with soil. Seed injured. 

 X Super-phosphate on seed ; Guano on outer edge of 

 hills- 



$ In contact with the seed. 

 II Intermixed with the soil. 



The above experiment consists of 28 rows, 

 and 40 hills in each row. The ground was green 

 sward, plowed early in the spring, about 5 inches 

 deep, harrowed thoroughly, and marked out into 

 rows two ways at 8 angles, 3 feet apart each 



