38 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
From the Southern Planter. 
pORN. 
SiF. — In the November number of your work, 
you state that you have been intormed that 1 
had raised one hundred bushels of corn from an 
acre ol land, and you desire mg to fvtrnishyou 
with the mode ot cultivation, &ic., and I proceed 
to dnswer your inquiries; but being vmry much 
cccu'pied, hnd at the same time very unwell, 
y'oLi must excuse me if the'detailsare not as full 
and interesting as you would expect. 
I have been a culti'/ator of the corn crop for 
filteen years, and fluring that time have never 
failed, I believe, to make such crops as attract- 
ed much attention ; yet, I haye always thought, 
that on our rich lands are made too much stalk 
a^nd too little corn, and have annually complain- 
ed of my overseers lor not planting my corn 
thick enough. 
This year, I determined to make an experi- 
inent of my own, uninfluenced by the advice of 
overseer or friends, several of whom remonstrat- 
ed against the extravagance of my proposition. 
For this purpose I selected a lot, which I con- 
sidered very good land, though not of the first 
order, as it had no previous preparation for the 
purpose, having been indifferently used for ma- 
ny years, as a horse lot, watermelon patch, cab- 
bage patch, turnep patch, and sometimes culti- 
vated in corn: about one-third of it, it is true, 
was list'd a part of the preceding fall for a .short 
time as a cowpen — which, by the bye, I have 
always had reason to believe, was perhaps the 
best possible mode of improving land that can 
be adopted, to the extent that it can be carried: 
itpon the balance of the lot, I had my stacks of 
top fodder. In the month of May, I had this 
land ploughed as deep as a large two-horse 
plough could turn it, and after having it harrow- 
ed perf'ctly level and fine, I had rows opened 
with a coulter two feet apart, and on the 18ih of 
May, the corq was planted at the riisla-nce of 
nine inches in these rows of two feet. A sim- 
ple arithmetical calculation will show that this 
would give you 105 rows and 280 stalks in a 
row, which would make 29,400 stalks to the 
acre ; and if each stalk would bring one good 
ear, e.sti:nating- five hundred ears to the barrel, 
which, wdth large corn, is an ample allowance, 
the product \.'ould be fiity-nine barrels and three 
bushels to the acre. Weil, that I had no expec- 
tation ol making, to be sure; yet, 1 thought, 
that by making every allowance for those stalks 
that would make no corn, there must still be a 
much larger yield, (if it made anything,) than 
■we had been accustomed to. 
It has been my habit for many year-s, never to 
plant corn without first soaking it well, and 
then rolling it in plaster and ashe.s, a practice 
that 1 recommend with great confidence to your 
readers, as it not only gives the corn an early 
start, but preserves its color even in the dryest 
seasons. In thisca.se, however, the coin was 
soaked and then rolled as usual, and' then left 
until the land \yas ready to receive it, which, 
being a few days later than I had contemplated, 
occasioned it all to sprout ; when it was brought 
out to be planted, I found the sprouts generally 
from one half to an inch in length. I was at first 
doubtful whether I should plant it or not; at 
length, I concluded, as the whole affair was but 
an experiment, I would let that go along with it 
as another experiment, that might lead to some 
practical resuk, intending to examine it on the 
second or third day, and if I found it dead to re- 
plant it. It was planted on Friday ev'ening; on 
the following Monday 1 examined it. and was 
surprised to find the corn ready to shoot out of 
the earth, and in many instances it had protrud- 
ed; on the next day, (Tuesday,) it might be 
seenfrom one end of the row to the other. 
AVhen the corn was about eighteen inches 
high, 1 made a parcel of children about the 
house, under my own superintendence, drop 
about a tea-spoonful of plaster in the bud of 
each stalk, through about half the fie'd; but I 
was never able to see any advantage resulted 
from it, whieh might perhaps be owing to the 
fact, that ill rolling and laying in the plaster, the 
grain itself hafi absqrb.ed as muefi as ■y/as neces- 
sary for the roots; for many have derived great 
advantage from this mode of administering the 
plaster, when it has not been rolled. When 
the corn reached the height of about two feet, I 
ran the coulter very deep and close to the corn 
on each side. I then ran what ■we call a skim- 
mer between the rows, and had the earth thus 
loosened, pulled with the hoes about the stalks 
as well as I c mid, in order to give some sup- 
port to the corn, in the form of a hill. From 
this time the corn was never worked or touch- 
ed; it grew off so rapidly as in a short time to 
shade the u hole surface of the field, so as to pre- 
serve the moisture, and at the same time to 
check the gro'vth of grass and weeds ; and at the 
time of gathering, it was the only part of my 
corn land not covered with crab grass ; but on 
that there was not a spire. 
The fodder was pulled at the usual time, 
which was an enormous yield, though I did not 
have it weighed: the tops were also cut as usu- 
al, and then I invited several gentlemen to come 
and see the corn gathered and measured. Four 
of them came, to wit: Mr. Peter Grubbs, 
Mr. Fen -tall Griffin, Df. Miles George, and Mi.' 
Samuel Perrin. T vi o of these gentlemen first 
measured the land accurately, which was less 
than an acre: the corn was then gathered, 
shucked, and measured in their presence, which 
yielded, as you have heard, cna hundred bushels 
to the acre. I have never’ obtained a certificate 
of the facts from these gentlemen, as it was not 
my purpose to make any parade in the papers 
about it, (though I confess I think it the duty of 
every farmer to give to his brothei farmers the 
results of such experiments, whether successful 
or otherwise,) and as you will probably have 
an opportunity of seeing therff, or most of them, 
before I shall, I wish you Avould obtain it, and 
publish it in connection ivith this communica- 
tion. 
It should be remembered that the season was 
what would generally be called a good one. 
There was an abundance of rain, but it did not 
fall in such proportions, or at such times, as 1 
thought best calculated to advance the crop; 
there were only two days, however, throughout 
the season, (and that at a critical stage,) that it 
showed signs of suffering from drought, but of 
course it suffer for some days before it be- 
gan to give way. 
Thus far, I have dealt in facts ; but if you 
will bear with me a little while, as 1 have pen 
in hand, I will now indulge a little in specula- 
tion. The resuli of this experiment has served 
to satisfy me, that it is practicable to make one 
hundred and fifly bushels to the acre on our best 
corn lands, properly prepared, and v/ith a good 
season — though with a very dry season, it mi-ght 
bring very little. In the ffrst place, I am con-‘ 
vinced that this lot would have yielded me 
much more than it did, if it had been planted 
with any other kind of corn than that which was 
planted. Some two or three years ago, I was 
persuaded by my neighbor. Burton, who was a 
good practical farmef, to try w'hat is generally 
known in thatneighboxhood as “ Gooch’s corn,” 
which he represented as remarkable for produ- 
cing regularly two ears to the stalk on common 
land — which my experience has taught me is a 
quality peculiar to that description of corn, and 
wdll, for that rea-son, answer a good ['-qfpese bn 
very poor land; but it is the most indifferent 
CO n in use for good land — for on the lane/, 1 
have never been able to get more than the same 
two short ears, measuring about eight inches in 
length — and for this it must have proper room, 
while, with the large eared gourd-seed corn on 
land of the same quality, the yield has been 
more than double. By some mistake or negli- 
gence on the part of my overseer, who prepared 
the com for planting, this was the corn selected, 
although I had determined never to plant anoth- 
er grain of it on any quality of land that I had. 
This was the only piece of corn I had of that de- 
scription. 
Again, the ears made were small^ generally 
of the size of the Baden coin, which, when I 
tried it, usually took 900 ears to make a barrel — 
and, estimating 900 of these ears to the barrel, it 
would show that there were 18,000 stalks that 
produced, on an average, though some of the 
stalks had turn ears; and, by the calculation be- 
fore made, there were 11,400 stalks that did not 
produce^ which no doubt diminished, in a great 
degree, the product ofthe balance, as they serv- 
ed not only to draw heavily on the soil, but to 
crowd and prevent the free circulation of air. 
Now, if these 11,400 stalks are taken out, and 
the remaining 18,000 are properly distributed, 
they w'ould produce much larger it not a greats 
er number of ears — so that, by planting in rows 
three feet apart, at the distance of ten inches, it 
w'ould give you 17,640 hills or stalks of coin, at 
which distance it must be obvious from the ex- 
periment already made, that every stalk would 
bear, (for in that case, the same number did 
bear, when crowded up with 11,400 that did not 
bear,) a full ear : then estimating 600 ears to tpe 
barrel, which would he ample, and you would 
ha'vm 29 barrels and two-thirds of a barrel ; 
which, with the exUa ears, (for manv of the 
stalks v'ould produce two,) would oveirun the 
thirty barrels. 
At all events, this is the experiment I mean to 
make next year ; and from it, with a good sea- 
son, I anticipate 150 bushels of corn — and I wish 
this communication may have the effect of indu- 
cing others to try it, if it is only upon a quarter 
of an acre. I have already laid off my lot, and 
am preparing it for the trial. 
Yours, &c., JoH.v M. Botts. 
Washington, Dec. 27, 1843. 
We have not been able to comply with Mr. 
Bolts’ request, by obtaining the certificate he al- 
ludes to, because we have seen only lico df the 
gentlemen ; but they corroborate his statement 
to the fullest extent — that is as good as it a thou- 
sand had certified to it. — E d. 
From the jllbany Cultivator. 
NECESSITY OF MANURING. 
It is obvious that the manuring of a fariA 
should only be limited by the ability ofthe own-, 
er. On a plentiful supply of manures, is de- 
pending the fertility of his soils, the amount of 
his crops, and consequently the extent to which 
his labor is rewarded. There is no expenditure 
on a farm, so sate as that for manure; and the 
labor required to increase it, is nevei labor lost ’ 
at least, if dixected by an ordinary share of agri- 
cultural knowledge and skill. Every source of 
supply should be made available; nothing capa- 
ble of fertilizing should be lo.st. The farmer 
who takes from his soil more than he leturna to, 
it, is surely impoverishing it ; and if he escapes 
such a calamity himself he leaves to his suc- 
cessors a worn-out farm, If he returns as much 
as he receives, his farm will retain its original 
fertility only; but the true farmer will scarcely 
be content with this. To increase its ferliliiy, 
and the amount and quality of the crop taknn 
from the soil, should be the aim ol the husband- 
man. This done, his labor is lessened, his pro- 
fits are greater, his farm is worth more; nor 
must the pleasure arising from beautiful fields, 
golden harvests, fine animals, accumulating 
prosperity, be oinitted in making up our esti-- 
mate ofthe advantages ol successful culture. ' 
Manure may be a homely subject, but on its 
preparation and nse every ihing’is depending, 
Without' it, the deep green of our p: stares, the 
gol'-ten yellow of our corn-fields, and the fine 
beef and white loaf of our tables, could not ex-^ 
ist. To the farmer, manure must be the first 
thing, and it must be the last thing : with it, he 
can do every thing — without it, nothing. 
Farmers, ^iAU£ your o^wn Candues. — Ta'ce 
2 lbs. of alum, for every 10 lbs. of tallow, dis- 
solve it in water before the tallow is put in, and 
then melt the tallow in the alum water with fre- 
quent stirring, audit wdll clarify and harden the 
tallow so as to make a most beautiful article for 
either winter or summer use, almost as good as 
sperm. 
