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The Culture of Indian Corn. 
Nothing is better known in agricultural matters, than 
that farmers differ widely in the culture of Indian corn. 
They differ in the depth of plowing the land; and in 
the season of the year in which they plow greensward 
for a succeeding crop of corn. Some farmers invariably 
“break up” their grass lands in autumn—others al¬ 
ways in the spring. They differ greatly, too, in the 
manner of applying the manures ; in the distance and 
way of planting the seed, and also in the culture of the 
growing plants. 
Some farmers only make use of the hoe in eradicat¬ 
ing the weeds, and in pulverizing and stirring the sur¬ 
face soil. Others use the horse-hoe, plow, cultivator 
or light harrow, &c., stirring the soil “ wide and deep,” 
and make very little, or no use of the hand-hoe in their 
cornfields. Doubtless, each farmer or planter believes 
his own way of culture the best. 
The circumstances of farmers vary so greatly, their 
soils are so different, and the seasons are frequently 
so unlike that it would be folly to prescribe any one 
method to be practiced by all corn-growers. But all 
are aware that there is frequently a material difference 
in the yield of corn per acre, among farmers in the same 
neighborhood, whose lands and means are apparently 
alike. The variation in the products under such cir¬ 
cumstances, is frequently the result of a difference in 
the preparation of the land, and the culture given the 
growing crop. 
We have been led to pen the foregoing remarks, from 
having recently read the published statements of two 
practical farmers, whose methods of cultivating corn 
widely differ. 
In the Homestead , of 12th of Nov., Mr. It. R. 
Phelps of Manchester, Conn., gives an account of his 
method of cultivating corn. He plants his corn in hills 
three feet distant each way, never using the hand-hoe 
in his cornfield but once during the season. He says : 
“ When the rows can be fairly seen, I go through with 
the horse-hoe, (Ruggles’.) When the corn is of a suit¬ 
able size, larger than we ordinarily weed, I cross the 
field with the horse-hoe, and give a thorough hand-hoe¬ 
ing, carefully cleaning the weeds from the hills, and 
thin to three stalks in the hill. After this, I use the 
horse-hoo as the state of the ground requires, generally 
twice, crossing each time. In cultivating in this man¬ 
ner, it is absolutely necessary to success, to begin be¬ 
fore the weeds get strongly rooted, end go as near the 
rows as possible .” 
On alluvial and other soils free from rocks and other 
obstructions, we have no doubt but that a corn-field 
can be kept pretty clear of weeds, by the frequent use 
of either the horse hoe, cultivator, harrow, or skim- 
plow, with only once using the hand hoe ; and perhaps 
it may be done at a much less cost of labor than by 
cultivating wholly with the hand hoe. But whether 
the crop of corn would be as large when cultivated by 
Mr. P.’s method, as it would be if the hand hoe alone 
was used, is a question that perhaps is worth discussing. 
It is possible that a field of corn where the hand hoe 
alone was used, might yield a sufficiently larger num¬ 
ber of bushels to more than pay the extra expense of 
cultivating wholly with the common hoe. However we 
are not wholly sure upon this point, but think it a mat¬ 
ter of sufficient importance to warrant farmers in try¬ 
ing, side by side, the two methods, on a small scale at 
least; keeping an accurate account of the time or labor 
expended in each method, and also the difference of 
yield in the two experiments. 
Every new rootlet put forth by a growing plant, is 
an additional mouth to supply tho plant with additional 
food. The more the roots of a corn plant are cut off 
or mutilated by the horse hoe, or any other implement, 
the less power it possesses of appropriating its food 
from the soil, and consequently the growth of the plant 
in all its parts will be lessened. 
A few years since we planted a well prepared field 
with corn ; the rows were struck out by a marker, thx-ee 
feet apart. Fearing loss of the plants by worms, there 
were from six to nine kernels dropped in each hill. At j 
the first hoeing we plucked up the surplus plants, and 
found each had sent out one main root, with numerous 
short side-rootlets. The main roots were from 12 to 20 
