314 
THE CULT I VAT OK. 
“Next Year’s Corn-Field.” 
“A corn crop not to be ashamed of,” said a friend, 
pointing us to five well-burdened acres of “the great 
American cereal,” “but next year, Providence per¬ 
mitting, I mean to grow a better one.” 
“You will have to work for it pretty closely,” we 
thought, but remembering he was a man who did not 
fear close work, we said nothing. But thinking the 
farmer who in August lays plans for next year's corn 
crop, might give us hints worth the notice of our read¬ 
ers, we drew out his plans and projects, and shall give 
them pretty much in our own fashion of scribbling. 
“ Next year,” said he, “ I intend to plant seven 
acres, and have already commenced getting the field 
in order. The new field will take in part of three old 
fields—so there are fences to move and re-lay. One 
end of the lot was recently attended to.” 
“ One might make quite an improvement in this and 
other farms by following some system in their divi¬ 
sion,” we suggested. 
“ I believe you,” he answered, “ and that is what I 
now aim at. We have settled upon a plan for re¬ 
modeling our fields, fenced now almost every way but 
symmetrically, and begin on this one A lane down 
the center, with five seven-acre fields on the west side, 
is as much as we dare undertake just now—other 
moves wait until these are accomplished.” 
“ A good idea,—it is only yesterday your neighbor 
C. gave up a valuable improvement, because he could 
not fully accomplish it immediately. Many a farmer, 
because he cannot find leisure for large improvements, 
neglects the small ones, and begins none, because he 
cannot finish as quickly as he can plan them. Happy 
he, who in all things remembers the wisdom of learn¬ 
ing 1 to labor and to wait.' ” 
“ It is a lesson the farmer must learn ; in making 
improvements I try to go as far and as fast as I can. 
Next year’s corn-field needs a great deal of work upon 
it, before we can think of its doing better than this 
year promises.” 
— His account of this “deal of work,” we shall 
condense into numbered paragraphs according to the 
different subjects. 
1. “In fencing. I think it worth while to keep rails 
of like quality together. In almost any old fence there 
are rails perfectly sound, which v/ill outlast half our 
new rails—these laid by themselves make a fence 
which does not call for immediate repairing. The 
poorer rails will last awhile,—I shall have enough of 
the old fences for three sides of the field, and finish 
the lane end with a new one. Stakes and caps make 
it secure—not easily thrown down by high winds or 
unruly animals. 
2. “ j Draining is needed only on certain parts of the 
field. The great part is a gravelly loam, but this 
clayey depression, where the clover froze out last win¬ 
ter, needs an underdrain or two. All the field shall be 
made alike, in this respect, if draining will do what you 
say of it. Now, water is entirely too slow in getting 
out of the soil—we must hasten its departure. 
“ Having small stones on the ground, in piles here 
and there; to get rid of them we shall make stone un¬ 
derdrains. It may take more labor to put down stone 
than tile drains, but less money is required and a 
nuisance is buried out of sight. If I was going to do 
a large amount of draining, I should use tile, but for 
small jobs they are usually very expensive. Dig the 
drains, at least, thirty inches deep, ten inches wide 
at the bottom, set up two flat stones (almost any stone 
not round , will work in) leaning against each other, 
wedge and chuck in, and fill up with small stone half 
the depth of the drain. Lay on straw, weeds, small 
bushes, or other rubbish, to keep the dirt from getting 
among the stones, and then fill it in a little above the 
surface level. Such a ditch, I finished up yesterday 
in my wheat fallow. 
3. “ Large stone , not suitable for filling drains, will 
furnish my team work for a day of light snow next 
winter. I shall need them for underpinning a new 
stable, by-and-by, and may as well be 1 looking 
ahead ’ for it. 
4. “But to get that ‘better crop, next year,’ I 
must have more manure. And, there is not a day so 
dull at any season, that it may not be profitably em¬ 
ployed in adding to the stock. Next week, all I have 
left after dressing my wheat ground, will be drawn 
and spread upon next year’s corn-field. John John¬ 
ston first incited me to try the experiment, and I begin 
to believe in it. Last year in September, we drew out 
and spread a quantity on the green sward now planted 
to corn, and I fiud it fully equal to long manure ; and 
better in acting sooner upon the young corn. I hope 
now to give it a more extensive trial, and may in time 
get fully established in the faith. 
“ Muck beds lie handy on our farm. I shall draw 
on them more extensively than ever this fall—they add 
much to the amount and value of manure. I find that 
a compost, one-half muck and one-half barn manure, 
is fully equal to the whole quantity of barn manure 
for corn, or any crop At least I can see no difference 
in the results where I have tried it. 
“ A little manure in the hill , in addition to a good 
dressing over the whole field, tells largely on the corn 
crop. That field all looks very well, but you will find 
an essential difference in the growth where a handful 
of muck and hen manure was placed in the hill before 
planting, and where none was used. It started earli¬ 
er and stronger, tasselled and silked out sooner, and I 
think will ripen four or five days sooner than other por¬ 
tions of the field. 
5. and finally. “ To get that ‘better crop,’ I depend 
on making the whole field as good as the best of it now 
is—giving it thorough preparation, plenty of manure, 
and good culture through the season. I shall try to 
make all the manure I can, and that of good quality; 
and also secure some good fertilizer for every hill, 
from the contents of hen-roost, privy, and hog-pen, 
and I believe I shall be able to show you a good seven 
acres of corn next September.” 
— Who of our readers cannot do better than here¬ 
tofore, by beginning now their preparation of “Next 
Year’s Corn-field ?” 
- m - 
Saving Corn Seed. —Remember, that every new 
plant raised from grain, is more or less a new variety 
—and to have it constantly improving, save the very 
best. In husking corn, take such ears as are finest, 
and from the most prolific stalks. Ten years of con¬ 
stant care like this, will, step by step, effect a great 
improvement. Potatoes, not being raised from seed, 
but only by a multiplication of the same plant, will 
not thus improve. 
