40 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
JAN. 4 
If there are any better kinds I have yet to find 
them. 
Sweet COrn for Soiling.—I always use it 
if I have the seed and I generally manage to 
save enough fot this purpose. This last Sum¬ 
mer after the drought had ruined our hay crop 
I put in all the sweet com I had left, i ome of 
it several years old, and it came nicely. The 
result is several tons of excellent fodder with 
“nubbins” enough to make the cattle and 
horses appreciate it. Wilh this and the 
stalks from our field corn I hope to bridge 
over the feeding season till glass grows again. 
--*-*-•- 
PLANTING SWEET CORN. 
As Winter passes away and Spring first ven¬ 
tures to appear, all persons fortunate enough 
to be possessed of a garden, large or small, 
become at ouce busy. First in preparing the 
ground, then in sowing seeds of the first early 
vegetables, and dually, later on, in eorn plant¬ 
ing. Then comes the perplexing question, 
which is the very best of the many known 
varieties to plant? How many have asked 
this very question, and how difficult a one to 
answer. 
Many believe that one variety alone should 
be sufficient, out then this one is to possess all 
the qualities oi the four or five varieties which 
every well-kept garden should contain. How 
difficult it is to bring about such a result none 
will kuow till it is accomplished. Of such a 
variety I do not intend to speak, but rather of 
the four or live at least necessary to any kind 
of a garden. 
Should the desire he a corn to come very 
early, to outstrip, perhaps, any of your neigh¬ 
bors, then plant by all means the Minnesota. 
The ears of this variety, though diminutive in 
size, are very sweet, and so very early in the 
season will be found very acceptable for the 
table. The Concoid com, though maturing 
some two weeks later, produces larger and 
very sweet ears, so for second crop this variety 
should be planted. For a third succession, a 
fine large and very white corn known as 
Hickok, may be planted and is sure to give 
satisfaction. 
Did tne Evergreen mature as early as the 
Minnesota, it might be ranked as the first of 
all good sweet corn; but coming late as it 
does, we have to place it last in line as far as 
precocity is concerned, but first, iudeed, when 
size and quality are regarded. A garden prop¬ 
erly planted with the best and purest strains of 
the foregoing varieties, would provide its 
owner with a succession of good corn through¬ 
out the season. Another variety, most appro 
priately named Mammoth, on accnuut of its 
extraordinary size, matures somewhat later 
than Evergreen, though hardly as sweet as this 
variety ; etill by reason of its huge proportions 
it is regarded by many as very desirable. 
Market gardeners, I tbiuk, would do well to 
plaut tbe Concord for an early crop, to be 
followed by tbe Excelsior, and finally the 
Evergreen and Mammoth. Tne Hiekok being 
now but little known, I must recommend it 
to all persons who can vegetables as the very 
best variety lor this purpose, beiug of a pure 
white color aud very productive. f. w. b. 
-- 
CHEAP SWEET CORN. 
DR. F. M. UEXAMEB. 
Br some accident 1 discovered the cheapest 
and easiest way of growing 6weet corn I have 
jet heard of, A box containing several pack¬ 
ages of different seeds,—sweet corn, bush 
beans cucumbers and peas, tbe latter largely 
predominating—was carelessly left open, so 
that mice got into it. A high festival they 
must have had, gnawing through the hags, 
mixing up the eutire lot and destroying as 
much as they could, before the mishap was 
discovered. 
We were just tiieu making garden, and it 
occurred to me, that the best use to make of 
these mixed seeds might be to sow them in¬ 
stead of peas alone, anticipating that the 
more tender kinds would fail to sprout or be 
killed by frosts, as it was several weeks before 
the season for planting corn and cucumbers 
in ibe opeu ground. 
The peas came on finely and produced a 
full crop. Beans appeared a little later aud 
furnished a dish sooner than the legulur sow¬ 
ing. I had almost forgotten aoout the other 
seeds, when to my surprise an occasional cu¬ 
cumber vine showed itseif, aud the corn pushed 
vigorously up through the withering pea 
vines. The first peas, ihe first beaus, as well 
as the first ears of corn from tne garden, were 
picked on this row—a vegetable garden in it¬ 
self. Encouraged by this sucocbs, I have 
often since repeated the experiment, in part, 
at least, oy sowing early corn and peao in the 
same iarrow. The corn does hot interfere 
with the peas, as the latter have already com¬ 
pleted their growth when the corn requires 
the entire ground, and the pea vines are rather 
beneficial to Ifie young corn, affording protec¬ 
tion against frosts. I do not advise to rely, 
for the main crop, solely on this mixed corn 
and pea growing, but as the lose of the seed, 
even if the corn should fail, is not worth men¬ 
tioning, and as no extra ground and labor are 
required, and an additional source for a suc¬ 
cessive supply of sweet com is opened thereby, 
the experiment is worth a trial. 
Early Minnesota and Dolly Dutton are the 
earliest and best early varieties I have grown ; 
Darling’s and Moore's Early I found the most 
desirable for medium, and Egyptian, or Wash¬ 
ington Market for late crops. 
-- 
Triumph Sweet Corn.— In a test-trial of 
tbe different varieties of Sweet Corn which I 
have been prosecuting for some years, I have 
found Triumph to be tiie best,all things consid¬ 
ered for this part of the country, at least. 
True, it is not so early by a few days as Early 
Minnesota, Crosby’s Early, and a few others, 
yet it is early, and its ears so large and full, 
(and with all it is so prolific), one is well re¬ 
paid for the uecessary waiting. In richness 
and tenderness it nearly, if not quite, equals 
that snperb, old. late sort—Stowell’s Ever¬ 
green, Should I confine myself to a single 
variety, that variety would be the Triumph. L. 
[The actual value of our seed and plaid col¬ 
lections distributed as they have been and are 
over our entire country very soon becomes 
known, As they are distributed without charge , 
it is apparent, that toe could have no motive in se¬ 
lecting those kinds which would not reflect credit 
upo n this jour nal ] 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
N. Y., Medina, Orleans Co.—I planted, May 
13, 1880, a piece of land, eight by thirty rods, 
to Blount’s corn, on last year’s soil after 
beans, fitted in tbe usual manner and without 
fertilizer of auy ktud- I planted it with a hoe 
one foot by four feet apart, one kernel in a 
place, cultivated it three timeB and hoed it 
twice (flat cultivation). I picked my seed for 
next year September 1. and cut up the balance 
October 1. I have just finished husking and 
it measures 814 bushels in the ear. Last year 
I, for my prize corn, selected some of the best 
laud I had and fertilized it to the best of my 
ability. This year I selected some of the poor¬ 
est land I had, land that has not been fertilized 
in any mauuer in 18 years, and when you con¬ 
sider the drouth, wire worms, poor soil aud 
no fertilizer, I am much better satisfied with 
the result of my experiment this year than 
last. Wm. H. Chamberlin, M. D. 
[iL will be remembered that Dr. Chamberlin 
took the Rural New-Yorker gold prize for 
$100 for the greatest yield from the Blount's 
corn which we sent out in our Free Plaut and 
Seed Distribution of 1878-9. Eds.] 
Ind., dall's Corners. Allen Co., Dec. 10.—As 
you request a report from me on ray boy’s 
acre of Blount’s corn, I will try to make one as 
near as possible. In tbe first place, the soil iB 
a dark sandy loam, not drained, plowed once 
and then surface plowed and well pulver¬ 
ized with harrow. Ten loads of barnyard 
straw mauure were used on the acre. Checked 
three feet by 3 feet S in. Planted about 8th of 
May with four kernels to each hill ; when well 
up thinned out all suckers, leaving only 
three stalks to hill. It suffered from wet in 
June aud from drought in August; it was 
plowed for level culture twice, but the wet 
changed onr minds aud then we used a single 
shovel plow twice, once each way. and hand- 
hoed once. Then the weather became dry and 
harvesting had to be attended to, consequently 
it was so dry we did no more to it. Very 
heavy rains the latter part of August caused 
about one-half to fall fiat to the ground. 
Now for tbe result. We have it all cut into 
stooks 8x8, or 61 bills each. In husking we 
have an average of 169 pouuds, gross, to stook. 
There being 3,960 hills, consequently we have 
61 51-61 stooks, or a fraction over 148 bushels 
shelled corn at 70 pounds per bushel. Corn 
cut up by 15th September, nearly all husked at 
present, aud I think ehdliug the corn would 
increase the yield. I am satisfied we will have 
more corn if all was Bhelled and weighed. 
Respectfully, W. H. Harter. 
[The above is a very surprising yield, and, 
under the circumstances, hard to believe. We 
would by no mean3 doubt the statement of Mr, 
Harter, but it would carry more weight if the 
yield had been measured aud certified to by 
well known persons.— Eds.] 
N. C.. Brookston. Warren Co.—Last Spring 
the Editor of the Rural sent me a package of 
Cnzco corn with the request to “plant, save 
ear6, and report.” The first was done April 19, 
the second 1 could not do, as there were none 
to save, not even a respectable cob. On the 22 
stalks there were four ears set. It attaiued a 
bight of 15 feet, throwing out roots at each 
joint for a long way up. One stalk which I 
have saved has roots two inches long at the 
thirteenth joint five aud one-half feet from 
the ground. This one grew partially inclined, 
however; those in a perpendicular position 
were not quite so prolific of roots. To Bum it 
up, it is a failure here. Neither is the Blount’s 
Prolific adapted to this section. From seed 
saved last year I planted an acre or more, 
The returns of fodder were much better than 
our common corn, just how much I cannot 
say, as I did not weigh it, A large proportion 
of the stalks produced three ears or rather 
“nubbins.” Lees than 50 were filled out at 
br.th ends, which Is a general fault with all 
varieties of corn here, but the Blount is the 
worst of all. m. b. p. 
-- 
Chester Co. Mammoth.— Blount’s White 
Prolific Corn, as will be seen, bears a single 
ear in each axil or in several of the axils of the 
leaves. Not so with the Chester. Generally, as 
is elsewhere remarked, it bears but one large 
ear. Occasionally, however, it bears two and 
very rarely three or four ears, all of them 
growing out of a single axil as is shown in the 
engraving. 
IMPROVEMENT OF CORN. 
PROF. A. K. BLOUNT. 
The object or all practically successful farmers 
is to raise from a given extent of land the largest 
quantity of the most valuable and marketable 
products at the least cost, in the shortest possible 
time and with the least Injury to their soil. 
Corn Is always marketable and should. In all 
cases, pay the farmer at least enough to encour¬ 
age him to make It better, improve and raise not 
only a better quality of grain but of rodder. When 
compared with other crops It ts not considered ex¬ 
haustive, especially on deep alluvial soils. The 
better the quality he raises the less exhaustive. 
Itl3 a curious fact that the finer the farmer 
makes the sou and the more prolific the lesslnjury 
It docs, wbtle the coarser and grosser the cultiva¬ 
tion the more Injurious. Hence, It not only pays 
the farmer to Improve his corn In order that he 
may make greater yields and get higher prices, 
hut to save Impoverishing his soli. 
That corn can be greatly Improved—and much 
more easily than other crops—and that It can be 
made more prolific and of finer quality and with 
less expense than It now is, are facts none can 
dispute. 
A careful examination of a hundred fields of 
oom Indifferent localities will Bhow any one that 
not even one per cent, of the stalks or ears Is per¬ 
fect. There will always he found some defect. 
It will not be uniform; too coarse, too late tassel- 
lng or silking, ears too small, cob too large, grain 
too light, rows too Irregular and not prolific 
enough. 
No oom can be called prolific that produces 
more than nine pounds of cob In every seventy of 
ears, nor can a crop he called profitable for grain 
whose stover amounts to over 65 per cent. 
When a large amount of fodder Is produced—as 
Is the case on bottom lands—the grain Is sacrl - 
fleed; butwbenthe largest* possible quantity of 
grain is made the producer’s crop stands about 
seventy-one per cent, stover, and twenty-nine 
per cent, grain. 
It la very evident to every one that it takes 
about three times more plant food and labor to pro¬ 
duce the stalk than It does the grain that, grows 
on It. Good farmers make a little better showing 
than this, however. In some States, while In 
others the crop stands stover, ntnoty per cent. ; 
grain, ten per cent . 
corn requires as much attention as the farmer’s 
$1,000 Btalllon. ne never neglects him. Every 
want Is satisfied, while the demands of his crops 
are never once considered—cultivation and a lit¬ 
tle common-place fertilizer excepted. 
Besides the regular routine of corn culture, the 
farmer would do well to plant pure, sound seed 
In good ground, giving It early attention and late, 
feeding It as regularly as he does hlB stock. 
Corn wants room, something to feed upon; it 
wants cultivation up to a certain time, and then 
tt demands rest. The atmosphere can In no way 
be used as an agent to improve the crop; the 
farmer must make the soil the avenue to supply it 
with necessary food. 
By crossing varieties that have fine and nutri¬ 
tious properties of their own; by keeping them 
from being adulterated, as it were, by Pharaoh's 
thin ears and blasted; by selecting and sowing 
the “ fittest,” aa stockmen do, the corn crop, all 
over the world,{could be made far better and more 
profitable. In corn, aa well aa tn all other vegeta¬ 
bles. and aa tn the animal kingdom, coarse ana fine 
specimens are found with good and bad qualities, 
sluggish and vigorous habits, and Inferior and su¬ 
perior points. The law that “like produces like,” 
although by no means true lu all things, must be 
respected In the Improvement of corn. The stalk 
can be made smaller or larger, shorter or taller, the 
cob can be lessened and the grain on It Increased, 
its color changed to suit the taste, the ear and 
shank shortened and lengthened, single or many 
ears upon the stalk, and a hundred more changes 
ean be wrought if the farmer has the Inclination 
and patience to give It Ills attention. 
Corn is so remarkably susceptible to change, so 
tender yet so hardy, so easily turned out of Its 
course, even In one season, that the slightest at¬ 
tention or neglect will make it a lucrative crop or 
a failure. The main points, then, for the farmer 
to observe in the Improvement of corn are those 
that, cover the rules to make a larger quantity, a 
better quality, a more abundant yield, In a shorter 
time and at a less expense 
Farm Manager Colorado State college. 
—-♦ • » - 
CLASSIFICATION OF CORN. 
Editor Rural ;—You have Informed us of your 
Intention to devote a number of your excellent 
paper to Tndlan corn. While others discuss the 
native country of this noble cereal, and may cite 
Longfellow’s authority for the aborigines of tills 
country having dedicated it to their god, Monda- 
mln, as proof of its American origin, and while 
others, with equal confidence, assign It a birth 
place In the East, or even in the “darkcontinent,” 
and while most of these who contribute to tbe 
literature of the subject by detailing their several 
modes of culture and treatment—permit an old 
corn-planter to make a few suggestions as to the 
classification of the very many sub-varletles that 
have been observed, as a result or long cultivation, 
accompanied by crossing and careful selection. 
Desiring to effect an arrangement of these di¬ 
verse forms of variation, something was attempted 
by the writer already In 1S5S, when responding to 
a circular for information that was Issued by the 
Secretary of the Ohio Board of Agriculture, Mr. 
John H. Kllppart, and this was afterwards adopted 
In part by him and published In the appendix to 
hls book on the Wheat Plant. 
The following will give the Idea : 
[Tellow Flint, 
Hard or Flinty -J Sored or mixed, 
(Pop corns, etc. 
(Yellow, 
| White, 
Soft and Dented-; colored. 
I Shriveled or Sugar 
l Corn. 
The Hard Corns are characterized by fewer 
rows of short, round grains which are very 
hard, more or less translucent throughout, rarely 
whitish or thickened at the outer extremity, 
which Is never dented. These areeomiuonly called 
Flint corns, and they are largely cultivated In the 
northern regions. They are usually early varie¬ 
ties, but when carried to lower latitudes some of 
them have been found to enlarge their stalks, to 
become really tall and at the same time to require 
a longer season for their maturity. Such are the 
White Flints that are used in the preparation of 
the domestic hominy of the Gulf States. 
These flint corns may be grouped In subdivi¬ 
sions characterized by color, aa yellow, embracing 
orange and rarely red: white and l(ineed, in which 
different colors are found associated upon the 
same cob, aa In the squaw corn. In this class are 
to he found the small-grained varieties, known as 
pop corn, the grains of which expand and burst 
when roasted. Tnese are often furnished with 
larger grains than others of the flinty class, and 
one of them, being unusually long and pointed at 
the end, has received the name of rice-corn; of 
this the plants yield both pure white and bright 
red grains on separate ears. 
A very curious variety exists that is thought by 
some to be the original corn plant, tn which the 
husks enclose each grain separately. This is 
only a curiosity, and Is rarely cultivated.—[See 
the tassel illustrated elsewhere, the male flowers 
of which while furnishing pollen tor the silk of 
ears underneath, also serve to fertilize the female 
flowers which also grow upon the same tassel, fig. 
T, p. 9 .—Eds.] 
Soft or Dent Corns embrace all that are not 
flinty, but their hardness varies considerably, nor 
are they always sort In the common acceptation 
of the term. All the Gourd-seed and Dane varie¬ 
ties belong to this class. They usually have 
rather long grains, that are always whitish or 
opaque at the end, and are either dented or 
roughened and pointed. 
In this class we must also place the variety 
with short grains that are opaque throughout, 
but so soft as to be easily crushed by the nail. 
In many of this class the holy of the grain 
Is translucent, firm and flinty, hence they are 
heavy, and the white varieties are largely used 
In the manufacture of hominy, as prepared by 
the machinery which has supplanted the primi¬ 
tive hominy block of the slave era. 
Under the class of soft corns ts found a group 
which, though essentially soft, Is also very dis¬ 
tinct from all others. These are the shriveled or 
sugar corns, so named from their corrugated 
forms aud from their sweetneas. They are es¬ 
pecially devoted to the kitchen garden, and are 
grown for table use, almost exclusively. Under 
continued culture, crossing and selection, these 
also have resulted In numerous variations as to 
size and color, as well as In their time of ripen¬ 
ing. 
The peculiar character of the inflorescence of 
the Zea mags renders It one of the most plastic 
and easily crossed of all our grasses, and there 
would seem to be no end to the variations t hat 
might be produced, and yet it Is remarkable that 
many of our established varieties so reproduce 
themselves with great constancy. w. 
HISTORY OF CORN FROM 1492 TO 1881. 
A Truly Scleullflc Paper. 
8. RUFUS MASON, X. Y, Z.; O. K. 
When Columbus discovered America he also 
discovered corn, to hls great and lasting amaize- 
ment. All efforts to learn Its origin failed, but as 
It existed everywhere, he concluded it came rrom 
Nature’s great cornucopia, which he translated 
Copious corn crops. 
Cornplanter, a descendant of the Digger Indians, 
and progenitor of the Cornish Miner now settled 
around cornhlll, England, while upon a still hunt 
one moonshlny night, In company with some Yen- 
geese, discovered corn Juice, and imbibing too 
freely, caused a rise inspirits. Great excitement 
ensued; everybody went into corn-juice, aud vice 
versa. 
The mode of cultivating corn was, In the time of 
Columbus and Cornplanter, well known and un¬ 
derstood, and was as follows: The natives got seed 
ad libitum, planted It. lu lulls guant,nmifiijjtuit ,hoed 
It cam spinlum non s( operand um, husked it nil 
aesperandutn, hauled It to the Yongcosc still, and 
put the Juice under their Jackets oon amove. 
There has been an improvement lu this process, 
but sucoe33 depends emirely upon circumstances, 
some of which are mental, some physical, some 
atmospherical, and Borne metaphysical, the last 
only when all the others are conjunct is unnalura- 
bills ad hominum. 
As Cornplanter was the first who Investigated 
the subject scientifically, the machine with which 
corn Is planted Is called alter him inmemora, 
