2 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
as in the rice and pop corn; a greater pro¬ 
portion of gluten in others. But these dif¬ 
ferences in their relative composition are 
nearly immaterial for the general purposes 
of feeding, and either may be most appro¬ 
priately raised, according as it is found to 
yield the greatest quantity of shelled pounds 
of grain per acre. 
Weight of Seed. —Regard should be paid 
to the weight per bushel, as there is some¬ 
times a difference of 15 or 20 per cent, in the 
weight of equal bulks. The standard weight 
is 56 pounds ; but most sound, northern corn 
exceeds this, and in some instances has been 
known to weigh 64 pounds per bushel; while 
most of the southern falls below 54 pounds. 
The season has much to do with weight, a 
very dry summer, like the last, giving a 
lighter grain than ordinary seasons ; while a 
wet or cold summer gives a kernel that 
shrinks much more in curing. We pur 
chased a large quantity of choice northern 
white flint corn this winter, and found that 
it fell below the legal standard of weight, 
when, heretofore, the same kind of corn we 
have had from the same fields, for several 
previous years, has invariably exceeded the 
standard weight. 
~ Selecting Seed. —Corn is greatly improved 
from year to year, by carefully selecting 
such ears as are longest, soundest, best 
filled, and most abundant on a single stalk. 
These should be carefully set apart before 
the stalks are cut, and allowed to ripen fully 
while standing in the field, without cutting 
the stalk either at the top or bottom, or trim¬ 
ming the leaves. The only justification for 
deviating from this rule is, when there is 
danger of frost; then the whole stalk should 
be cut at the root, and stooked out till prop¬ 
erly cured. In planting, the small end of 
the ear should be rejected for seed. Some 
very careful farmers also throw by the irreg¬ 
ular kernels near the butt, but this we deem 
superfluous nicety. When kept dry, cool 
and free from air, the vitality of the seed, 
like wheat, may be deemed almost illimit¬ 
able. 
Preparing the Seed. —Many soak the seed 
in a solution of saltpetre for 24 hours before 
planting ; others use urine, weak ley, brine, 
&c. A good steep is i lb. of saltpetre, 2 qts. 
of salt, 3 qts. of soft soap, added to 3 gallons 
of rain water. After soaking at blood-heat 
for 15 to 40 hours, roll in plaster and plant 
before the seed becomes dry. But when 
thus prepared, care must be used to deposit 
it in moist ground, or the incipient germ, 
which has started by the soaking, will be ar¬ 
rested and killed. While some have per¬ 
ceived no benefit from this practice, others 
have found great advantage in the more early 
and rapid growth of the plant. It has this 
certain benefit where crows and squirrels 
abound, it prevents the destruction of the 
seed by these marauders, as the taste of 
three or four of these pickled kernels suffices 
to drive them from the seed. Another pret¬ 
ty efficient preventive to these depredations, 
is to pour a pint of boiling tar diluted in 
water over a bushel of seed corn placed in a 
barrel, stirring the corn very briskly till ev- 
ery grain becomes coated with the tar. 
Time of Planting. —This must depend on 
the season, the soil, and the climate. When 
danger from nipping frosts is no longer to be 
anticipated, and the ground is dry and warm, 
corn may be planted. The most economical 
way of doing this, is by the seed-planter. 
This is drawn by a horse and furrows the 
land, drops the seed in any required quanti¬ 
ty and at regular distances, and covers and 
rolls it at a single operation, getting over 
eight to twelve acres per day, according to 
the distance of the rows, and all is accom¬ 
plished much more evenly than is usually 
done by hand. The use of this labor-saving 
implement, does not leave the hills in such 
accurate squares, as when the ground is fur¬ 
rowed at right angles, and the seed dropped 
by hand. But this is not of material conse¬ 
quence, when the harrow is used in subse¬ 
quent cultivation. If the ground is light, and 
especially, if either sandy or abounding in 
clods, the field-roller should be used to level 
and compact the surface. 
Distance of Planting. —A usual distance 
for northern or smaller corn is, in squares, of 
three to four feet, with three or four stalks 
in each hill. Light soils and larger corn re¬ 
quire a greater distance. 
Cultivating. —We have known a large 
field, and that not the best corn-land, to pro¬ 
duce at the rate of seventy bushels per acre 
without the use of a hoe. Most people defer 
the cultivation too long. This gives the 
weeds a start, and requires much more labor 
to extirpate them than if commenced earlier. 
By starting the harrow lengthwise of the 
rows as soon as the plants show themselves 
above ground, the weeds will be pretty effec¬ 
tually eradicated, the soil kept loose, and 
the plants will grow apace. There should 
be sufficient grain planted, that you can af¬ 
ford to lose some plants by the harrow-teeth. 
The remaining ones, if somewhat disturbed 
in their nest, will thrive all the better for this 
rough usage. The cultivator may be subse¬ 
quently and frequently used between the 
rows ; and if weeds get into the hills, the 
hand may be used for their removal. No 
plowing is necessary, unless the plants have 
been so long neglected, as to have permitted 
the weeds so large a growth as to require 
turning under. We believe in one deep and 
thorough plowing, with the sward or stubble 
plow, to be followed by the subsoil plow if 
necessary. Subsequent 'to this, the only 
stirring of the earth is required at the sur¬ 
face to keep it light and rough so as to radi¬ 
ate and imbibe heat readily, and as a neces¬ 
sary consequence, to absorb largely of atmo¬ 
spheric moisture. The plow, or deeply- 
working with any implement, after the roots 
have struck out—which is very early in the 
life of plants—checks the growth and is a 
positive injury. We are no advocates for 
hilling the corn, unless in a stiff and moist 
soil; all sandy and light lands should be cul¬ 
tivated entirely level. When the corn be¬ 
gins to shade the ground, so as to check the 
growth of weeds, it may be safely left to 
itself. 
Topping Corn was once almost universally 
in vogue, but is now generally discontinued. 
It is much better to cut it up by the roots’ 
bind and place it in stooks, when the grain 
has become glazed, or there is any danger 
of frost or the stalks are required for fodder. 
Preserving the Stalks.— Many leave the 
stalks standing in the field and turn their cat¬ 
tle upon them to eat and trample in the mud 
as they choose. This waste can only be 
justified where there is more than can be 
eaten with economical management, and the 
labor of housing and preparing is greater 
than their value when properly fed. No¬ 
where at the north can this slovenly method 
be justified. Wherever hay commands six 
to eight dollars per tun, cornstalks are worth 
taking care of, and this has been the case al¬ 
most every where in the United States dur¬ 
ing the last year or two. The stalks should 
be left in stooks till thoroughly dried, (and 
they require a great deal of drying, which is 
slowly accomplished at the season of the 
year when they are cured,) then placed se¬ 
curely in stacks or under sheds. Stacks 
should be made on a foundation of poles or 
timbers, and with large poles in the center 
to continue to the top. This will insure a 
current of air that effectually prevents injury, 
though the stalks may be put up somewhat 
uncured. Long exposure to the elements, 
wastes the nutritive and more relishable por| 
tions of the stalk, and when thus neglected, 
less will be eaten and this will not yield as 
much nutriment. 
Using Stalks for Fodder. —They are gene¬ 
rally fed by throwing on the ground uncut, 
but this is a wasteful practice, and it is sel¬ 
dom that they are half consumed unless the 
cattle are kept at the point of starvation. 
By cutting and crushing into small pieces 
with some of the best stalk-cutters, then 
moistened and sprinkled with chaff, meal, 
&c., all the stalks, leaves and tops will be 
greedily eaten ; and thus fed, they will keep 
any thing but hard-working animals in excel¬ 
lent condition. The most observing north¬ 
ern farmers estimate the average value of 
cornstalks for fodder, to be greater than the 
entire cost of raising the crop, thus leaving 
the grain a clear profit. 
For Soiling, Indian corn has become an 
important article of cultivation of late years. 
We are confident it will soon become an in¬ 
dispensable staple, where much summer and 
winter forage is required. The growth is 
rapid and certain, the yield enormous, and 
the stalks and leaves are unsurpassed for 
producing a large ffow of rich milk. It is 
equally useful when fed to all animals, as a 
substitute for clover or the grasses. When 
these fail, from a dry season or other cause, 
a crop of cornstalks is invaluable. The corn 
may be sown in drills, at the rate of one and 
a half or two bushels of seed per acre in a 
rich soil, throughout the season of vegeta¬ 
tion. Two crops may be grown on the same 
field when early sown. Keep the soil loose 
and the weeds down till the young plants get 
a start, when they will take care of them¬ 
selves. The stalks may be cut and fed green, 
or cured and put by for winter feeding. 
He who marries a beauty only, is like a 
buyer of cheap furniture—the varnish that 
caught the eye will not endure the fireside 
blaze. 
