fHE CULTIVATOR. 113 
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1846. 
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CULTURE OF INDIAN CORN. 
The circumstances most favorable to Indian corn, 
are a rich, deep, and light soil, with a hot and mode¬ 
rately moist atmosphere. 
Keeping in view the principles most congenial to the 
habits of the plant, we should prefer commencing the 
cultivation with the soil in a grass or clover sod. The 
disposition of the manure, if any is used, will next de¬ 
mand attention. The quantity proper to be applied de¬ 
pends on many circumstances—such as the condition of 
the soil, the whole quantity at the disposal of the far¬ 
mer, and the requirements of his other crops. The 
plant will bear a large quantity, if it is intimately mixed 
with the soil, though the yield is no doubt sometimes 
lessened in a dry season from too much unfermented 
manure being used. While the weather is favorable, it 
induces a large growth of stalk, by Avhich a proportion¬ 
ate degree of moisture is required; but the encouraging 
stimulus may be counteracted at another part of the 
season by the tendency of the manure to make the soil 
more dry than it otherwise would have been. Perhaps 
as a general rule, it would not be advisable to apply 
over 30 two-horse loads of long barn-yard manure in 
one season. 
We should prefer that a part of the manure used 
should be pretty well rotted, and that the other portion 
should be in a fresher state. The latter we should 
spread on the sward before plowing, and turn it in with 
rather a shallow furrow—not exceeding the depth of 
four inches. The object being to keep the manure near 
the surface, that it may be the more readily acted on 
and rendered soluble by air and heat, we should merely 
cover it sufficiently to prevent loss by exhalation. If 
the soil should be so compact as to render expedient a 
deeper loosening than would be made by the common 
plow, we should use the subsoil-plow, running it in the 
furrow directly after the other. By using two teams, 
one following the other, the whole work may be car¬ 
ried along together without any interruption, and in 
many cases with not more than double the expense of 
plowing, in the usual mode. The particular advanta¬ 
ges of subsoil plowing, it is not intended to discuss 
here, though it may be remarked that no doubt is en-. 
tertained of its general utility. 
The time of plowing must of course depend on the 
convenience of the farmer. If he has much to dq, it is 
obvious that he cannot plow all his land at one time; 
but we believe experience has established the fact, that 
the best success has generally been obtained from plow¬ 
ing performed as near as practicable to the time of 
planting. This result is reasonably explained: the soil 
is kept in a more friable state through the season; the 
furrows not being beaten down and run together by 
heavy rains, as is often the case when the plowing is 
done earlier. The rotting of the sward takes place 
most readily when plowed after the grass has considera¬ 
bly started; the sap-vessels being then filled with juices 
which promote decomposition; and if the seed is planted 
at the time of plowing, the crop converts to its use, 
without waste, the gaseous food as fast as it is evolved. 
We are aware that certain advantages are claimed for 
fall and winter plowing; the first of which may be said 
to be the greater leisure of the farmer at that season of 
the year; second, the destruction of insects; and third, 
the benefit of the soil by the action of frost. The first 
of these positions is undoubtedly correct, and the con¬ 
venience of doing the work at this season, may go far 
towards counterbalancing some of the disadvantages, 
and in some cases may justify the practice. How much 
soundness there may be in the second position, we are not 
prepared to say. That insects are destroyed from being 
disturbed by the plow late in the fall or during the winter 
months, is probable; though it is thought that further and 
more accurate experiments than have yet been made are 
required to establish the advantage of fall plowing in this 
particular. As to the beneficial action of frost, it is 
admitted that soils of too adhesive a nature, may be so 
managed that they are thus rendered more open and 
friable; but to secure this benefit it is necessary to throw 
them into narrow ridges in such a manner that the wa¬ 
ter will be quickly thrown off; for it is only by the 
ground being frozen and thawed while comparatively 
dry and exposed to the air, that the pulverulent action 
of the frost takes plaee. If the surface is left level, the 
particles of the soil are soon run together by rains; and 
thus, in sward ground, the subversion of the sod by 
fall plowing, only produces a greater degree of adhe¬ 
siveness—increasing the very defect it was designed to 
remedy. Thus it appears that it is only too heavy soil«, 
that can, under any management, be benefitted by fall 
plowing. 
Mode of plowing .—For very light and loose soils, 
almost any sort of plow or any mode of plowing may 
answer the purpose; but for compact and tenacious 
land, much depends on the implement and the manner 
in which this operation is performed. Several practi¬ 
ces prevail in different parts of the country, which seem 
liable to objections. For instance, fields are often 
plowed by beginning on the outside and continuing to 
go round the lot till it is finished. The objections to 
this mode are several. It occasions inequalities in the 
surface of the ground, by the manner in which that por¬ 
tion moved by the plow is disposed of—gathering the 
richer portions into particular places, and making the 
soil thinner in other spots. Fields have been seen 
which had been so long plowed in this way that 
the ground near the fence or on the margin of the 
field, was raised several feet higher than the general 
level. In this mode of plowing also, the teams are 
obliged, in turning at the end of the furrows, to tread 
more or less on the plowed ground, so that there is 
a hard beaten strip of eight or ten feet in width on 
those portions of the lot where the furrows made in one 
direction end, and others commence. The soil also be¬ 
comes thin at these places—the action of a plow at the 
beginning of a furrow, always throwing the earth a 
little forward; so that by the tread of the team and the 
gradual removal of the soil, these spots become at 
length comparatively barren. 
A better mode of plowing is to commence by striking 
a furrow about a rod from the fence, on all sides of the 
lot, and then plow the field in “ lands,”—completing 
the work by plowing the outside strip; in doing which 
the furrows should be commenced next the plowed por¬ 
tion—the team passing round the lot and turning to the 
right till the work is done. 
Other defects in plowing are, leaving portions of the 
soil between the furrows uncut and undisturbed, and 
also turning too W'ide furrows. The bad consequences 
of these practices are not so evident nor indeed so great 
on light sandy or gravelly land; but it will be admitted 
that the best plowing is that which approaches nearest 
to spade husbandry, and this can only be gained by an 
intimate division of the soil. Without laying down 
any specific rule for the width of furrows, it may be 
observed, that the heavier and more compact the soil, 
the finer it should be cut by the plow, in order to fully 
secure the object designed. It is the practice of some 
of the most judicious farmers, not to plow a wider fur¬ 
row than ten inches, on soils of medium stiffness. 
In plowing sward especially, the circumstances which 
favor decomposition, should be duly regarded. Science 
teaches, and practice and observation prove, that the 
action of heat and air is essential in effecting changes 
of animal and vegetable bodies. This important princi¬ 
ple should be kept constantly in mind, and the inferences 
dedueible from it, should direct to a proper performance 
of the work under consideration. The furrows should 
be laid lightly—being so disposed by the plow as to ad¬ 
mit the access of air to the under side. If they are very 
wide, or are turned over too “ dead,” as it is sometimes 
expressed, they will press more closely on the subsoil, 
and the decomposition will go on but slowly—indeed 
in wet and cold lands it will scarcely take place at all. 
Another advantage resulting from leaving the furrows 
as here mentioned, is the opportunity afforded for the 
escape of surplus water. This is in many cases of great 
consequence, for though a certain degree of moisture is 
favorable to decomposition, and to vegetable growth, 
yet is well known that an excess is injurious. 
