174 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
May, 
Experiments in Growing Indian Com. 
Eds. Cultivator —Agreeably to promise, I enclose 
another experiment on “ Indian Corn,” that, in itself, 
would seem of little importance ; nor should we attach 
too much importance to experiments of this kind, until 
they shall have, by oft repeated trial, placed the question 
beyond a doubt. Who knows which will produce the 
greatest yield to the acre—grain from the large end, from 
the middle, or from the small end of an ear of corn? 
Who knows but what we, by shelling off the grains from 
the large end, and the small end, for the pigs, and plant¬ 
ing the middle, are not doing just the reverse of what 
we should do? I venture to predict that very few, if 
any, know anything about it. We judge—we guess— 
but what does judging and guessing amount to? We do 
not guess at the amount of interest we are to receive or 
pay. No, we prove by facts and figures, the exact 
amount. Now if we can arrive at a few facts in seed 
planting, we may derive as great great advantage from 
it, as in accurate reckoning of interest. 
In the following experiments, I do not claim to have 
established any “facts,” but rather to have seen the 
“ finger board” that points the way to the field of ex¬ 
periment, wherein there are many truths concealed, which 
we have only diligently to seek, in order to find; and to 
have started in pursuit of a few, with a full determina¬ 
tion to some definite result. 
On the 14th of May, 1849, I selected an ear from my 
seed corn, (of the eight rowed, yellow variety,) well 
capped over the end with sound grains. I shelled and 
planted three hills, of five grains each, from the large 
end,—three from middle, and three from the small end. 
Soil similar, and treatment alike in every respect. Top 
stalks cut 20th September. Corn husked 28th October, 
and weighed as follows: 
lbs. oz. 
3 hills, seed from large end,. 2 00 
3 “ “ middle,. 1 12 
3 “ small end,. 2 4 
My whole field was injured some by worms at the roots, 
this included. The produce is not a pound to the hill, 
which must be regarded as a light yield. It will be seen 
that the small end takes the lead—half a pound over one, 
and a quarter of a pound over the other. This resulting 
so different from what was expected, led me to institute 
the following: 
On the 18th May, 1850, I planted 30 bills from one ear, 
10 from each end, and 10 from the middle—five grains 
to each hill, of uniform depth and soil. Treatment alike 
in all respects—grew unmolested, and produced a fail- 
yield. Top stalks cut 12th Sept. Corn husked 9th 
October, and carefully weighed. Stalks also weighed— 
resulting as follows: 
Stalks. Corn. Total. 
10 hills, grains from large end. 14 lbs. 4 oz. 12 lbs. 8 oz. 26 lbs. 12 oz. 
10 “ “ middle,.. 14 14 12 26 14 
10 “ “ small end 18 13 8 31 8 
Allowing 4,000 hills to the acre, and assuming this ex¬ 
periment as a guide, the difference in favor of planting 
seed from the small end, would be 10 bushels, 40 lbs. to 
the acre, compared to that from the middle, and 7 bush¬ 
els 8 lbs., when compared with the seed from the large 
end. The large end takes the preference over the mid¬ 
dle, by 5 bushels, 20 lbs. to the acre. The grain from 
the small end produces more stalks chan the middle, by I 
1,256 lbs. per acre, and 1,500 lbs. more than the large 
end. Now, why this should result so, is more than I am 
able to explain. That it is so, I have proof positive. 
On the 24th May, 1851.1 selected an ear from my white 
corn, not fully capped over the end, and planted 30 hills, 
as in the above; and though my man exceeded orders, 
and cut it in my absence, yet I had observed, during its 
growth, that while that from the large end and middle 
were very nearly alike, the corn from the small end was 
not near as good. Hence, I conclude , if these experi¬ 
ments will admit of anything like a conclusion, that 
where the cob projects beyond the grain, the lower grains 
being imperfect, should be rejected ; but where the ear is 
well filled out over the end, these grains should be first 
chosen for seed. 
A neighbor, on whose statement I can rely, says he 
once planted, through the carelessness of his men, about 
20 rows of corn from the small end of his seed ears, 
which had been carefully shelled off, and put aside as 
unfit to plant; but greatly to his surprise, on harvesting 
the crop, it w r as impossible to discover any difference. 
Geo. W. Coffin. Amenia, Dutchess Co., March, 1852. 
-- 
Treatment of Strawberries just before Fruiting. 
We have repeatedly urged the importance and shown 
the advantages of irrigation ; but where this cannot be 
adopted in practice, mulching is a good substitute. The 
following mode of treatment is described by J. Cuthill 
in Hovey’s Magazine, as practiced by Joseph Myatt, the 
celebrated strawberry raiser, and by himself. “Having 
no water near him, Mr. Myatt depends entirely upon the 
immense quantity and the quality of his manure for keep¬ 
ing the ground moist, together with a good coat of straw; 
but where manure is scarce, perhaps my plan, which I 
have practiced for many years, would be the best. I al¬ 
ways mulch between the rows with fresh straw, mixed 
with horse droppings, laying it on at least an inch in 
thickness, just when the plants are coming into flower; 
and if the weather is dry, I water frequently, but not 
over the flowers, until all the fruit is set. By the time 
the latter is ripe, the strength of the manure is washed 
down among the roots when they most want it, leaving 
the straw clean and sweet.” 
Spent tan has been extensively recommended and con¬ 
siderably used for mulching strawberries. But N. Lon- 
worth of Cincinnati, who never adopts anything hastily, 
says, “ Tan I have discarded. It soon rots and renders 
the fruit dirty. In its green state it injures the flavor of 
the fruit. I prefer the old covering, from which the 
plant takes its name, cut straw.” 
Beet Sugar in France. —The Plough, Loom and 
Anvil informs us that an acre, well cultivated, will pro¬ 
duce in the "West Indies, thirty tons of 'plant cane, or 
6,000 weight of sugar, while an acre of beet will yield 
only 18 tons, producing 2,100 weight; yet notwithstand¬ 
ing this, the importations of sugar from French colonies 
into France is rapidly diminishing, and the manufacture 
of beet sugar constantly increasing, the duty being the 
same on both. This result is ascribed to the superior ad¬ 
vantages of proximity to market. The annual duties on 
I French beet sugar are now 30 million francs. 
