1889 
21 $ 
THff RURAL HFW-Y0RK1R. 
The stalks are medium and don’t sucker, and, 
barring its slow maturity, it pleases me as 
well as any I could get. 2. About 60 bushels on 
an average. 3. 3)4 feet each way. 4. So long 
as I feed all crops raised on the farm to sheep 
and other stock, I have all the stable manure 
I can use, aud, of course, have no need of 
commercial fertilizers. My soil—a sandy 
loam—is in a high state of cultivation, and 
hence the more simple tools do me, such as a 
cultivator, common harrow and plank drag. 
The latter is seldom used except as a leveler. 
c. c. b. 
Indian Territory. 
Oo-wa-la, Cherokee Nation.—I prefer 
large white dent corn, because'it supplies all 
demands for corn on the farm, being liked by 
horses and hogs as well as any, and it is much 
the best for corn-meal which is a staple 
article of diet in this country. I cannot give 
the average yield. My yield the past season 
was fully 50 bushels per acre. I plant 3 feet 10 
inches to four feet each way. I have never used 
any manure for corn. The tools used in rais¬ 
ing a crop differ somewhat, according to the 
ability of the farmer, and also according to 
the number of acres to be cultivated. The 
really necessary tools for 40 acres would be 
a turning plow, harrow, two-horse cultivator, 
and, possibly, a hoe, yes, and a corn planter, 
a two-horse check-rower preferred. 
Lime Spring, Howard County.—1. Yellow 
dent, because it is early aud will ripen here. 
2. From 30 to 35 bushels. 3. Three feet eight 
inches apart each way. 4. Barn-yard manure. 
Drag, Monitor sulky cultivator or four- 
shovel plow. A. M. 
Belle Plaine, Benton County.—1. I prefer 
a yellow red-cob, dent variety, which I have 
raised for 15 years and improved by selection, 
because the cob is small, and it yields well, 
and I have never had any trouble with the 
seed. 2. On ordinary soil with good cultiva¬ 
tion the yield will be 40 bushels of shelled corn 
per acre. 3. Three feet nine inches apart 
both ways. 4. Coarse barn-yard manure 
drawn in spring and plowed under as soon 
afterwards as possible,gives the very best re¬ 
sults. We use a harrow first, then the 
double-shovel walking or riding plow, which 
cultivates one row at a time. h. b. 
Sibley, Osceola County.—1. Any of the 
medium early dents. The flints are too hard 
and do not do well here. 2. Forty to 50 bushels 
well cared for. 3. Three feet eight inches 
each way. 4. Nothing nut stable manure is 
used here. For tools we use a plow, smooth¬ 
ing harrow, four-row marker, two horse corn- 
planter and a two-horse cultivator. I prefer 
the walking. G. s. D. 
Kausati, 
Howard, Elk County.—1. For rich bot¬ 
tom land I prefer large yellow dent, and for 
thin high land the large white dent, because 
they yield more per acre than the small, early 
varieties. 2. From 30 bushels to 75 bushels 
or more per acre, according to the nature of 
land aud the season. 3. Three feet eight 
inches apart each way. 4. I use nothing 
but barn-yard or stable manure for any crop, 
commercial fertilizers being almost unknown 
in this country. In cultivating I use a 
common harrow and two-horse cultivator. 
J. C. T. 
Maine. 
Skowhegan, Somerset County.—The eight- 
rowed flint is the kind of yellow corn planted 
here on account of its earliness. Sweet corn 
is taking its place, as it will purchase more 
yellow corn than can be grown on the same 
ground, and be earlier disposed of. The usual 
practice is to break the ground just before 
planting, seven inches deep; from 20 to 25 two- 
horse loads of barn manure are put on per 
acre. Some put it on the sod and plow it in, 
and others on the furrow and barrow it in. 
About 400 pounds of superphosphate are ap¬ 
plied in the hills at the time of planting. If 
no barn manure is used, 200 or 300 pouuds 
more of phosphate are used, half broadcast. 
The rows are 3)4 feet apart; the hills 2)4 to 
three feet apa^t in the rows. The crop is 
worked twice thoroughly with a cultivator, 
and hand hoe, and once or twice more with a 
cominou one-horse walking cultivator. From 
30 to 40 bushels of yellow corn is the usual 
crop, aud from 1,000 to 2,000 cans of sweet 
corn per acre. Price to farmers three cents 
per can of 26 ounces. The wheel-harrow has 
been aud still is a great favorite; but the 
spring-tooth is being purchased more of late. 
Barn manure and phosphate used together 
give better results thau either used alone. 
J. H. L. 
West Farmington, Franklin County.—1. 
The 10-rowed field corn and Dutton corn are 
used. I prefer the 10-rowed because it is 
earlier. 2. Average yield 40 to 50 bushels of 
shelled corn per acre. 3. "We plant in hills 
three feet apart. 4. I use the finest rotted 
barn-yard manure—sheep manure mostly. We 
plant mostly by hand, and use a horse culti¬ 
vator in cultivating. G. J. p. 
Caribou, Aroostook County.—We are in 
the far Northeast of Maine and don’t raise 
any field corn. f. p. k. 
Maryland. 
Swanton, Garrett County.—1. The King 
Philip and several varieties of the white flint, 
because my altitude is about 2 500 feet. 2. From 
50 to 80 bushels. 3. 3)4 * 3)4 feet. 4. Barn¬ 
yard manure plowed under and ground bone 
and hard-wood ashes sown broadcast and har¬ 
rowed in, with a little ammonia to each hill as 
a starter. We use the Thomas Smoothing 
harrow till the corn is five or six inches high 
and then a five-shoveled cultivator. My part 
of the State is not a corn section. c. t. s. 
Baltimore, Baltimore County.—1. White, 
because it yields better than yellow in this 
soil, a sandy loam. 2. Two feet eight inches 
by three feet. 3. From40 to 50 bushels; one 
lot of 10 acres this year, yielded 57 bushels per 
acre. 4. Barn yard manure. For tools we use 
the Oliver chilled plow, two horses, a spring- 
tooth harrow, an ordinary harrow and roller; 
then cover with a small plow. Cultivators, 
Iron Age one way, and double-furrow plow 
the other. s. h. 
Massachusetts. 
Farnumsville, Worcester Co.—1. The corn 
I raise and prefer is a mixture of Longfellow 
and a twelve-rowed variety, the name of 
which I don’t know. I prefer it because I get 
the best results from it. I get from 65 to 75 
bushels per acre. 2 Forty-two inches each 
way. 3. Stable manure. The land is plowed 
fine; then 1 spread the manure, harrow both 
ways with a spriug-tooth harrow; next, run a 
stone-boat over it to smooth it; after which 1 
use a four-toothed marker both ways. I plant 
with a hand machine. When the corn is 
about two inches high, I cultivate with a 
spring-tooth cultivator; then again when It is 
about three feet high. It would be better to 
say that one should cultivate any time when 
the weeds start. I keep the ground just as 
level as possible—no hilling up for me. I plant 
about one inch deep, as near May 26 as pos¬ 
sible. d. s. 
Byfield, Essex County.—1. The variety 
I prefer is a cross, or mixture of Longfellow 
with a low-growing, large-eared variety, the 
name of which is unknown tome. I like this 
because it gives more grain in proportion to 
fodder than any variety I have ever tried. 
2. From 50 to 60 bushels per acre, on light 
land. 3. About 3)4 feet each way. 4. High- 
grade complete fertilizers for profit. I use 
barn-yard manure when I have it, because I 
have it. I use a common five-tooth cultivator 
and hand hoe. a. p. * 
Pepperell, Middlesex County. —1. N orth- 
eru flint 90 days, is the only corn to grow 
here. 2. 75 bushels. 3. Three feet each way. 
4 Mixed barn manure is all the kind I use. 
All kinds of tools are used for cultivation. 
There is very little difference between them 
so long as they accomplish the end —to work 
the soil well. a. k. s. 
Michigan. 
West Campbell, Ionia County.—1. The va¬ 
riety of corn generally cultivated here is 
known as oil dent, or yellow dent. This seems 
better adapted to our soil—a greater portion 
ot which is sandy loam—and climate than any 
other kind. It is seldom caught unripened by 
early frosts 2. The yield in shelled corn 
ranges from 40 to 60 bushels per acre—making 
perhaps an average of 45 bushels. 3. We 
plant in rows four feet apart. A spriug- 
tooth cultivator made for this purpose is com¬ 
monly used iu the first aud second cultivations; 
next a double-shovel cultivator and then a 
single-shovel plow. Some farmers are using 
Reed’s double corn cultivator. 4. I do not 
know of any one using artificial or manu¬ 
factured fertilizers. The only manure used is 
barn-yard manure accumulated from the 
horse, cattle and sheep stables. A clover sod 
is selected for corn as a general rule, and it is 
plowed in the fall aud spring according to the 
convenience of the farmer. Opinions vary as 
to the results of plowing at these seasons. 
c. F. H. 
Birmingham, Oakland County.—1. Tucker 
dent, a yellow corn,is used here. It matures 
early, has a small stalk, is medium to good 
bight, has no suckers, and has small cobs 
which weigh but 10 pounds to the bushel of 
70 pouuds of ears, which break easily in husk¬ 
ing. It excels all other varieties for quantity 
of shelled corn to a bushel of ears, viz; 60 
pounds. 2. From 45 to 50 bushels per acre on 
an average. 3. Three feet nine inches, with 
from three to five stalks per hill. 4. We 
dou’t use auy manure or fertilizer. I ulways 
turn over yearly an old meadow of 30 to 40 
acres, plowing it about five iuches_deep,.and 
cultivating it well before planting. Then I fol¬ 
low this with a rotation of crops and use 
barn-yard manure with all succeeding crops. 
For tools I use the Oliver chilled and subsoil 
plow, and a 40-tooth drag, followed by a stiff 
two horse frame cultivator. Then I smooth 
with a drag,mark and plant with a hand plan¬ 
ter. When the corn is well out of the ground 
and we can follow the rows,we use the Deere 
two-horse wheel cultivators, and keep at it 
until the corn is too large. Then we follow 
twice or more—as needed—with a one-horse 
cultivator, keeping the ground well cultivated 
and free from weeds at all times. o. p. 
Minnesota. 
Herman, Grant County.—1. In this part of 
Minnesota we plant mostly Compton’s Early 
flint corn. Angel of Midnight, King Philip, 
Canada Early and Minnesota White Flint are 
also used as well as Pride of the North 
dent, North Star dent and Dakota yellow 
dent. Compton’s, however, is preferred be¬ 
cause it is the surest to ripen in this Northern 
corn belt. It takes about 90 to 95 days from 
planting to ripen. 2. From 35 to 75 bushels 
per acre. 3. Generally 4x4 feet apart 
ea^li way. 4. Barn-yard manure, no other is 
used here. A few use two-horse hoe cultiva¬ 
tors, and many use one-horse cultivators of 
different makes. The Planet Jr. new pat¬ 
tern horse-hoe cultivator is the best here for 
corn and potatoes. e. s. 
Minneapolis, Hennepin County.—1. The 
common eight-rowed yellow dent is raised 
here because it is tfce best for feeding and 
selling in market for milling purposes. 2. 
About 35 bushels per acre on an average when 
manured. 3. From 3)4 feet to four feet apart 
each way. 4. Common barn-yard manure is 
the only fertilizer used here Where it is liber¬ 
ally used it gives results. The tools used are 
the common harrow and for after culture the 
sulky cultivator. w. s. mcl. 
Missouri. 
Ozark, Christian Co., February 25.—The 
winter in Southwestern Missouri was very 
mild until the middle of February. Only 
about two inches of snow had fallen, and the 
ground had frozen but an inch in depth An 
unusual amount of rain had fallen and the 
creeks had been impassable for fording six 
times during three months. Out-door work, 
such as clearing,logging and fencing, was pur¬ 
sued with much comfort, with scarcely the loss 
of a day. It was feared that feed would be 
scarce, and grain, hay and fodder were held 
at high prices in the fall; but the long-con¬ 
tinued mild weather has caused a drop in¬ 
stead of an advance in prices. Plowing could 
have been done every week except that part of 
the time it was too wet. Fruit buds were kept 
swollen and fears were felt of the effects of 
possible severe cold weather. Wheat was 
bare all the time, but in spite of sudden 
changes, it has kept quite green, though not 
looking quite as well as in previous years. 
It has been a splendid time for getting a 
supply of summer fuel, as tne only expense 
for it here is the work of preparing it. 
Freighting over the road from Arkansas aud 
the counties contiguous to Springfield, which 
is the metropolis of this section, continued all 
the time. Large amounts of cotton 
pass almost every day. Hogs, poultry, hides, 
dried fruit and cedar posts seem to form the 
bulk of freighting. Very few cattle passover 
the road. Camp houses at convenient distances 
are to be found where for 25 cents bunks for 
sleeping are provided, with fire and water for 
warming and cooking purposes. Each freight¬ 
er carries his own provisions, coffee-pot and 
frying-pan. There are sheds for the teams,but 
feed is generally carried along; although corn, 
sheaf oats,’or corn blades, Timothy and clover 
are raised on many farms, but not as a general 
feed as yet. While there are quite a number 
of railroad lines, some counties having three 
or four, yet there are other counties and sec¬ 
tions that are 50 to 100 miles from a good 
market. Springfield with its better market 
facilities, packing-houses and manufactories 
draws trade from a large section and there are 
cheap accommodations for the poorest freight¬ 
er aud wool and timber haulers, andjin the var¬ 
ious feed and wagon yards are gathered every 
night hundreds of men and teams, and the 
Missourian or “Arkansaw traveler” that can¬ 
not around the camp-house stove prepare the 
to him luscious meal of meat, eggs, bread and 
coffee, is the exception. Among the outfit the 
men have often found a deer or its hide and 
on rare occasions a bear to sell, while 
“coon and possum” and wild turkey are 
quite common. Since Feb. 15th we have 
had freezing weather every day, the 
thermometer having dropped for a few 
hours below zero. Six inches of snow 
fell on February 17 and it was not entirely 
gone when more began to come to-day. Quite 
a large immigration is tending this way,some 
stopping.here where.timber land can be bought 
at,from _$4 to an acre, from which.good 
farms can be made or improved, and partially 
improved farms can be bought for from $10 
per acre upwards. There are fair schools in 
the country for six months in the year, with 
high schools, academies and colleges in the 
towns and cities. There is preaching by 
some denomination in almost every school- 
house, and in the towns and some places in 
the country, good church buildings are found. 
There are some pieces of very rough land 
that can yet be homesteaded, and many of the 
immigrants are going still further south, 
where land is still cheaper, though rougher, 
and vacant lands are more frequent. Living 
expenses are quite low here as compared with 
further west, but the probability of one’s do- 
iug well depends much on other things. When 
market facilities are better developed, can¬ 
ning factories and evaporators more common, 
this will undoubtedly be a great fruit 
country. At present while almost all kinds 
of fruits do well, yet fruit raising is in a very 
crude state, and I have yet to see a well-cared 
for orchard or fruit garden, though I have 
seen green and dried fruits that compared 
favorably with the best. J. M. r. 
De Soto, Jefferson County.—1. I am a “new” 
farmer, having made only one crop. I used 
Learning corn for hills, and a variety called 
Gourd-Seed (white) for DOttom land. 2. 
From 40 to 50 bushels. 3. Three feet. 4. 1 
have had experience with barn-yard manure 
only. For tools I use a double-shovel and five- 
tooth cultivator. e. f. w. 
King City, Gentry County. —The yellow dent 
is the most used here, as it is the best for cattle 
and hogs, as it is not so rough and hard as 
some of the flinty varieties, and hence it is 
used almost exclusively for fattening stock, 
giving better satisfaction than flint kinds. 
It makes from 30 to 65 bushels per acre accord¬ 
ing to the season. In checking corn we gen¬ 
erally plant three feet 10 inches, and where 
ive “list” we put in the seed from 12 to 16 
inches apart in the drills. No manure is used 
here except stable manure, as the country is 
mostly “new” and it does not pay to use 
costly fertilizers, at least, the farmers think 
so. The listers are used to plant about 
half of our corn and a corn planter and check- 
rower most of the remainder. A harrow is 
used considerably after planting, and a two- 
horse cultivator to finish. a. s. m. 
Nebraska. 
Broken Bow, Custer County.—1. The 
Bloody Butcher variety is chiefly used be¬ 
cause it matures early and stands drought 
well. 2. About 40 bushels. 3. Three feet 
10 inches each way. 4. I have used no ferti¬ 
lizers but stable manure. The harrow 
and walking cultivator are our tools. We 
have such dry weather here that corn never 
fills out well. “ subscriber.” 
Weston, Saunders County.—1. Yellow 
dent field corn gives the best result. 2. 
From 50 to 75 bushels per acre. 3. Three 
feet eight inches each way. 4. Barn-yard 
manure alone is used if any fertilizers are ap¬ 
plied. We plant with a two-horse Brown 
planter and check-rower, use a square-tooth 
harrow and a heavy roller and a two-horse 
tongueless cultivator. p. t. n. 
New York. 
Sandy Hill, Washington County.—1. An 
early yellow dent. 2. It will generally bear two 
ears on a stalk and has small cobs and large 
kernels. It will yield 75 to 100 bushels on 
rich soil with good cultivation. 3. Three and 
one-third feet each way; but I intend to plant 
3)$ feet by 18 inches. 4. Twenty loads per 
acre of farm manure plowed in, and 400 
pounds or more of phosphate broadcast. I 
use the smoothing harrow, and Planet Jr. cul¬ 
tivator. M. t. w. 
Gulden’s Bridge, Westchester County.—1. 
White and yellow flint corn is planted in this vi¬ 
cinity. 2. From 30 to 50 bushels per acre of 
shelled corn are raised on good ground. 3. 
Corn is planted usually 3)4 feet in check rows. 
4. Barnyard manure alone is used on sod and 
plowed in. I don’t think 10 tons of fertilizers 
have been used in 10 years—ninety-nine- 
huudredths of the work is done with a common 
corn plow. H. a. c. 
Otselic Center, Chenango County.—1. 
Canada eight-rowed we consider the earliest 
variety. 2. Fifty to 75 bushels per acre. 3. 
Three and one-half feet each way. 4. I have 
used nothing but poultry manure; most farm¬ 
ers use fertilizers for the crop (Bowker’s Hill 
and Drill;) others use stable manure, hog 
manure being preferred. I am now using a 
cultivator made at Ithaca, an old style tool. 
Not much corn is grown here, as the season is 
rather short for it. w. a. s. 
Fort Ann, Washington County.—1. Comp¬ 
ton’s Early; it is early aud yields the best with 
me. 2. From 40 to 60 bushels per acre. 3. 
Three aud oue-half feet each way. 4. Stable 
