06 
THE FARMER^S MANCAt. 
will greatly benefit your crop ; particularly upon 
lands of a light and gravelly soil. This practice of 
dressing the hills, does best when applied at the first 
hoeing, and repeated again at the third hoeing; the 
first brings forward the stalk, and the last the ear. 
When you weed your corn at the first hoeing, turn oft’ 
the furrows from the hills with your plough ; this will 
leave a ridge of light loose earth between the rowsf 
which will be prepared to dress your corn with, by 
ploughing it up to the hills at the second hoeing. At 
your third hoeing, or hilling, strike a deep furrow be- 
tween the rows, and haul up the earth to the hills 
with the hoe ; but keep your plough as far from the 
hills as possible, that you may avoid the extended 
fibres of the roots, which, if cut with the plough, 
would injure your corn. Avoid the Corn-harrow at 
your first weeding, as is practised by some ; this 
leaves the earth close, or heavy, and dead between 
the rows, and injures your crop. Be sure that you 
finish hilling before your corn begins to silk and tas- 
sel, (or blow out, and set for the ears ;) nature should 
then be left to herself undisturbed, or your crop will 
be injured. The farinae, or blossom, upon the tassel, 
js as small and light as the finest flower ; this, when 
ripe, falls off" gently, and lodges upon the silk, which 
surrounds the c«b ; this again, the husk, by its pro- 
gressive growth, covers and protects from the weath- 
■ r, or other injury ; each particle of farinae becomes 
a kernel of corn, adheres to, and is nourished and 
supported by the juices of the cob; whatever dis- 
turbs the corn in this state, shakes off the farinae ir- 
regularly, and renders the filling out of the ears ir- 
regular. The farina; of Indian-corn are so extreme- 
ly small and light, that they have been known to float 
in the wind, and mix in other fields of corn of dift’er- 
ent kinds, at the distance of 80 or 100 rods*. 
* If your corn U planted on ridges, upon manure spread at large 
upon the ground, and covered witli the plough, preserve your ridges 
■jnhrokcn through the season ; horse-hoe the furrows, (a plough with 
