74 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
March 
an object as crooked corn rows, or expose the same to 
the gaze of others. 
In planting the corn, which is a nice operation, care 
is used to scatter it well in the hill, putting in 6 to 8 
kernels. I always direct the planters to occupy 8 to 
12 inches square with each hill. This may appear a 
small matter to some, but it is a fact that corn planted 
thus will ear heavier, and there will be more stalks 
bearing two good ears, than if the common practice of 
tumbling the corn into the hill at hap-hazard is pursued. 
Indeed one could better afford to pay a man two dollars 
a day to plant corn in the way I have recommended, 
than the common price, planted in the common way. 
The corn is covered at least 3 inches deep in sandy and 
gravelly soils, for two reasons. In this section of coun¬ 
try we frequently have late spring frosts which nip the 
corn after it is up, and if covered but slightly the vital¬ 
ity of the tender plant is often destroyed by freezing 
down to the roots, whereas if covered 3 inches deep, no 
permanent injury is done. Again, we sometimes have 
dry weather about planting time, and if the earth drys 
down to the corn after it has sprouted, it may not come 
up at all; if it does it will be a long time about it, and 
at the end of three weeks will not be nearly as vigorous 
as that planted deeper. The seed is planted dry. I 
have tried a variety of steeps for seed corn, but have 
settled down to the impression that it is as well planted 
dry as any way. The most effectual u scare-crow” I 
have ever found, is a line of white twine strung round 
the field, and supported by 1 long stakes. 
In working the corn after it is up, the main depend- 
ance is upon the horse and cultivator. The construc¬ 
tion of many of the cultivators in use is faulty. The 
upper part of the tooth is so short, and the frame work 
in consequence is brought so near the ground, that the 
implement goes bobbing about over the top of the 
weeds, clogging up with every impediment it meets— 
the weeds of course are not cut off or rooted up in a 
thorough or desirable manner, although I grant they 
are somewhat mangled. In a future communication I 
may give a drawing and description of a cultivator, 
made at my suggestion, by an ingenious blacksmith in 
this place, which is not liable to the above objections. 
At weeding time the horse and cultivator pass through 
the rows both ways, perfectly pulverizing and mellow¬ 
ing the soil, and as the rows are always straight , the 
soil is worked up close to the hills each way, render¬ 
ing the labor of weeding with the hoe comparatively 
light. The corn is again worked both ways with the 
horse and cultivator at the second hoeing, the feeble 
stalks are pulled out, leaving 4 to 6 standing in a hill, 
and a bread, flat hill made. I find it cheaper for me, 
so far as labor is concerned, to earth up a little than 
to hoe perfectly level, and the hills being made broad 
and flat, it is, for anything I can discover, equally as 
well for the corn. 
I never hoe but twice. Having plowed the land the 
previous autumn, nothing green started up before the 
winter set in, and the frost immediately following, the 
grass roots were killed. In the spring the land was 
well harrowed and plowed above the sod; there were 
no seeds of weeds in the manure, it being well fer¬ 
mented compost, and thus the work of the season was 
in a great measure done before the seed was planted. 
After the second hoeing the corn has the entire occu¬ 
pation of the ground, no further trouble being experi¬ 
enced from weeds of any kind. The thorough working 
of the land before planting, and also by the use of the 
horse and cultivator through straight rows both ways, 
at the first and second hoeing, has the further advan¬ 
tage of bringing the corn along through the fore part 
of the season with great rapidity, which is of essential 
importance, particularly in our northern latitudes. 
There is no variety of corn that is not either im¬ 
proved or deteriorated by the manner in which the seed 
is selected. As soon as the earliest ears are thoroughly 
glazed, I go over the field, selecting those for seed 
that are early and vigorous, and from stalks producing 
two good ears. The corn is immediately braided up 
and hung in a dry, airy place. I have a kind of very 
long-eared, eight-rowed corn, which I have planted for 
several years, selecting the seed in the field each year 
in the way described, and which will yield a quarter 
more, the quality and cultivation of the land being the 
same, than it would when I began raising it—-the corn 
is also at least ten days earlier in ripening. At first 
it was difficult to find double eared stalks, but now, it 
would seem to an observer in passing over the field, 
that a large proportion of the stalks produce twin ears 
measuring, the two together, 24 to 26 inches in length; 
many of the single ears will measure 14 or 15 inches 
long. Of course no kind of corn can produce to any 
extent, two ears upon a stalk, of this length, unless the 
land and cultivation are both good. It is to be hoped 
there is “ a good time coming,” when no land will be 
planted with this luxuriant grain that is not good, or 
made good, by the liberal management of its proprietor . 
As my communication is already too long, I will say 
nothing at present of the various modes of harvesting 
the crop; perhaps, at some future time, I may do so, 
and if I should my remarks will show the results of 
some practical experiments which I have instituted. 
F. Holbrook. 
Brattleboro, Vt., Dec. 14, 1847. 
The Farmer’s Song, 
My sturdy sons, bring forth the share, 
All sharp to turn th’ unfetter’d soil; 
If we in autumn fain would bear 
The golden sheaves, fear not the toil! 
Those demagogues who strive for place, 
And others chain’d to “glory’s car,” 
Fancy in labor there’s disgrace, 
And honor in inhuman war. ’ 
Not so, we reck our country’s weal, 
Trve honor lies in arts of peace, 
We’ll guard it with our hearts of steel,— 
And dig to find the “ golden fleece.” 
Nor while we till the teeming earth, 
Let us forget that we are bound, 
By all the blessings of our birth, 
To strive that knowledge may abound. 
What though the Spring to labor calls, 
And Summer sees the forehead glow; 
Autumn with plenty fills our halls— 
In Winter pleasures overflow. 
Then let us bless our happy state, 
And yield to earth the seed and grain; 
With grateful hearts we’ll watch and wait, 
“ The early and the latter rain.” 
Albany, March, 1848. M. W. H. 
Sea-Coast Farms enriched. —The committee of 
Barnstable Co. Ag. Society, state that John Doane has 
by skilful management, rendered his farm five times as 
productive of grain and grass, as it was when he pur¬ 
chased it 27 years ago. The soil was then exhausted, 
and most of it was thrown out to commons. It is gen¬ 
erally sandy, and he has renovated it by plowing in sea¬ 
weed, and by making sea-weed compost in his barn¬ 
yard. Manure is the u beginning, middle, end,” of all 
good farming. 
Niagara Suspension Bridge.— This is to be com¬ 
pleted according to contract, in May, 1849. It is to 
be 1,100 feet long, and 230 feet above the water. 
Cost, $190,000. The wire cables are locked into the 
solid rock on each side, 100 feet below the surface, and 
will be strong enough to sustain 6,500 tons. If the 
bridge were densely crowded from one end to the other 
with heavy loaded teams, they would only weigh 300 
tons, horses and all. 
