THE CULTIVATOR. 
79 
INDIAN CORN. 
In actual value to the country, it is probable our In¬ 
dian corn crop is not exceeded by any other of our agri¬ 
cultural products. Adapted in some of its varieties to 
every part of the United States; exceeded in nutritive 
powers by few if any of the cultivated plants; cultiva¬ 
ted with great ease, and only requiring one season for 
its perfection, it is not surprising that corn should be a 
general favorite, and that more land should be employed 
in the production of this crop, than any other one. The 
corn crop of the U. States may safely be estimated at 
400,000,000 of bushels; and its value $125,000,000 an¬ 
nually. Immense as is the quantity of corn produced, it 
must be evident to all, that this quantity might be greatly 
increased, even were no more land devoted to its cul¬ 
ture, by a more skillful husbandry. It is only by this 
course, indeed, in the older states, that any increase of 
quantity is to be expected, since no considerable addi¬ 
tion of land to that already devoted to this crop, can con¬ 
sistently be made. In the great valley of the Mississippi, 
it is impossible to set limits to the quantity that might be 
annually grown, should the demand induce the popula¬ 
tion to divert their productive energies into that channel. 
There are few crops which show the effect of skillful 
cultivation more strongly than that of corn; and this 
marked improvement should induce the farmer, instead 
of adding to his number of acres in corn, to adopt that 
course which will give him the greatest crops, leaving 
the surplus acres to other uses. If a man, by good cul¬ 
ture, can obtain from ten acres of land the same crop 
which it now takes from fifteen to twenty to give, then 
prepare the land so as to obtain the greater amount. That 
there are thousands of acres that now do not yield more 
than from 30 to 40 bushels to the acre, that would with 
thorough culture yield from 70 to 83, none acquainted 
with our agriculture can doubt. But we have heard it 
said, “ if I employ all my labor and manure on ten acres, 
the remainder of my fields must suffer.” The answer is 
easy; why cultivate 20, when you can get the same quan¬ 
tity from 10? and will rest from cropping be more inju¬ 
rious to the soil, than the exhausting process of cropping 
without manuring? Why spread the labor and the ma¬ 
nure that applied to ten acres would give 800 bushels of 
corn, over thirty, and in the end receive but 600 bushels? 
Let it be remembered too, that a piece of land once tho¬ 
roughly fitted and manured for corn, is fitted to produce 
a succession of good crops, which in all piobability would 
more Mn repay in their extra product, any extra expense 
incurred for the corn. 
As the season for planting corn is approaching, we 
have collected from various sources, notices of some re¬ 
markable corn crops, mode of culture, &c. In the se¬ 
lection of examples, reference has been had more to the 
details of treatment, than to the amount of the crop, as it 
is of but little use for a farmer to publish to the world that 
he has grown an extraordinary crop, unless he also shows 
how he has done it. For this reason we have omitted 
some of the heaviest crops of corn on record. And here 
we would remark, that in awarding the premiums for 
crops, our agricultural societies have not sufficiently in¬ 
sisted on full details of culture from the applicants. In 
consequence of this neglect of details, one great object of 
Such associations has been defeated, and the good effect¬ 
ed by them proportionably limited. This every one 
must feel, who turns to the reports of the societies in the 
different states or counties, with the view of ascertaining 
the best method of culture in all its parts, of any given 
crop. 
The first instance we shall select is from the report of 
a crop made by Mr. Stevens of Hoboken. We do ihis 
because it is one of the earliest of our great corn crops, 
and shows the action of street sweepings or manure, 
very plainly: 
“ Mr. Stevens gave his ground three plowings before 
planting, and before the last plowing put on 700 horse 
cart loads of street manure. He then planted in double 
rows 5| feet asunder, dibbling in each grain. To do this 
with expedition and accuracy, he bored two rows of 
hofips in a piece of board about four feet long, so as to 
form equilateral triangles, the sides of which wer > seven 
inches, as thus, 
******* 
****** 
Into these holes he drove pegs 3| inches long. As the 
corn was dropped into the holes so made, a man follow¬ 
ed with a basket of rotten dung with which he filled them 
up. During the season the corn was suekered three times. 
The intervals were repeafedly plowed, and the rows 
kept clean of weeds by hoeing and hand weeding.” 
This corn was raised on a bet of 50 guineas between 
Mr. Stevens and a Mr. Ludiow. Mr. L. planted his 
rows four feet apart, and the corn 8 inches from stalk to 
stalk in the rows. His ground was manured with 200 
loads of street dirt. His crop was 98 bushels and 14 qts. 
per acre; Mr. Steven’s 118 bushels and 2 quarts per acre. 
Unless the great quantity of street manure used made it 
necessary, or the condition of the soil was bad, no good 
reason can be given for so many plowings for a corn crop. 
In 1831, B. Butler, Esq. of Chenango co. in this state, 
raised 140 bushels of corn from one acre. The soil was 
a stiff loam, nearly covered with small stones, of which 
50 loads to the acre were taken off before tillage. It was 
plowed but once, but this was done in the best manner. 
Mr. B. adds— <c We then drew on 25 cart loads (about 25 
bushels to the load,) of sheep manure, and spread it 
evenly on the furrow. Rolled and harrowed with the 
furrow, with a light double harrow, containing 40 teeth, 
until it was a complete garden mold, and the earth well 
incorporated with the manure. Again picked off the 
stones, and again rolled and planted on the 22d and 23d 
of May, on an even surface, with the early small white 
flint corn steeped in a solution of copperas and saltpetre, 
and then tarred and rolled in plaster, and planted in dou¬ 
ble drills feet from center to center of the middle drill. 
The plants standing singly from 12 to 13 inches on the 
main drill. The corn was once plowed, and afterwards 
kept clean with the hoe, plastered well on the plant, 
topped at the usual time, was ripe on the 15th of Sept., 
and was harvested on the 14th and loth of Oct. 
In this case the sheep manure sustained the high repu¬ 
tation it has acquired for the corn crop, both at home and 
abroad, and with the exception of that produced in the 
hog pen, our experience would lead us to prefer the ma¬ 
nure from the sheep fold, to any other ordinary farm ma¬ 
nures. One thorough plowing was here found sufficient, 
the rest being left to the harrow; and we are convinced 
that in most cases one plowing well done, will be found 
better than more. A fine mellow seed bed must in any 
event be had, and the soil must be moved with either 
plow or harrow until this is provided. 
Another example of a good crop of corn, is that of Mr 
Bugbee of Palmer, Mass, who raised from five acres of 
land 540 bushels, or 108 bushels per acre. The follow 
lng is the account given by Mr. B. of his mode of cul¬ 
ture :—“ Last spring I plowed up a piece of green sward, 
measuring about five acres, and prepared it for corn as 
well as my means would permit. After plowing, 30 loads 
of manure to the acre, were spread over the ground, and 
thoroughly mixed with the earth by means of the har¬ 
row, without turning up or breaking the sod. The 
ground being now prepared, on the 30th of May I planted 
my corn. A small quantity of ashes, lime, and plaster of 
paris, mixed together and prepared for the purpose, was 
used at the time of planting, or put in each hill. Of this 
mixture, there were 2\ bushels of lime, 2| bushels of 
plaster, and 25 bushels of ashes for the 5 acres. The com 
was hoed but twice, a third hoeing being unnecessary.” 
This crop affords another of the many proofs already 
existing of the excellent effect of such a compost of lime, 
plaster and ashes, especially on inverted sward, as that 
prepared by Mr. B. Those farmers who sell off their 
ashes, and harvest corn crops of only 30 Dr 40 bushels 
per acre, would do well to imitate Mr. B. in the use made 
of his. 
In 1823, Leonard Hill received the premium offered by 
the Plymouth (Mass.) Ag. Society, for the best crop of 
corn. We condense his statement of the culture, &c. 
The soil naturally was deep and rich. During the pre¬ 
vious winter, while it was greensward, his cattle were 
foddered upon it. In May, it was plowed very deep into 
