252 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
July, 
Culture of Indian Corn and Oats. 
We have been favored by the writer, with the follow¬ 
ing statements which he furnished to the Windsor Co. 
(Yt.) Ag. Society, for publication in the Cultivator. 
Gentlemen— There are some farmers whose intelligence 
and skill in agriculture I greatly respect, who doubt that 
there can be one hundred bushels of Indian corn grown 
upon one acre of land. But my own practical experience 
and improvement in agriculture, have proved, not only 
to myself, but to all who are conversant with the follow¬ 
ing manner of cultivation, that there can be such crops 
of corn raised. 
In order to produce a great crop of corn, as well as 
any other large crop, deep plowing is indispensably ne¬ 
cessary, and plow in a coat of manure at each plowing, 
in order to mix the manure well with the soil, observing 
at each time of plowing, to go equally as deep if not 
deeper, than it had been plowed before. When I calcu¬ 
late to grow a great crop of corn, I begin to prepare the 
ground the year previous. The first year I put on from 
40 to 50 common ox cart loads of coarse or long manure 
to the acre, in the spring of the year, and plant it with 
corn. The result of the first crop, with good attention, 
is generally about 60 bushels to the acre. The next 
spring I apply full 50 loads of same kind of manure to 
the acre • this last coat will bring the crop to maturity in 
the late stages of its growth, while the previous coat 
being well mixed with the soil, will start the crop with 
the greatest luxuriance in the first stages of its growth. 
I plant from the 18th to the 20th of May, rows four feet, 
and hills two feet apart, at the first hoeing, which I have 
done with great care, the stalks are reduced to three in 
each hill; then a mixture of lime, plaster, and hard wood 
ashes, unleached, a gill to each hill of corn is immediately 
applied. After the second hoeing, plaster alone is ap¬ 
plied, a table spoon full to each hill. It is hoed the third 
time, and each time with care and neatness, using the 
cultivator, and elevating the earth but slightly around 
the stalks, keeping the surface clean from weeds and 
nearly level. The seed is a mixture of the yellow eight 
rowed and Brown corn, so called, and when the two kinds 
become blended, it imparts a deep, rich chocolate tinge 
to the whole. The cob is small, the ears are long, well 
filled out, and the kernels deep, close, and compact. 
Such is the manner of cultivation upon three and one 
half acres the past season, one acre of which yielded 
92 6-7 bushels, another acre 88 4-7 bushels. These acres 
were taken one from each side of the field the longest 
way ; through the centre of the Held, lengthwise, is a 
slight elevation or ridge, on which the crop was not quite 
as good. 
Had it not been for the severe drouth late in the sum¬ 
mer, and had it set as well for ears as usual, I have no 
doubt but there would have been over 100 bushels to 
the acre on the whole field, as it was as heavy a growth 
as a field of four acres I had in 1849, which produced 
104 bushels to the acre, but it set to ears much better 
than the field of the present season. The soil where I 
grow my corn, is of the alluvion bottom lands upon the 
Connecticut river, and no where in the known world, is 
there a better soil for the production of this valuable 
grain, but it will not grow even here spontaneously; it 
requires care and labor, skill and judgment, and these 
rightly exercised upon such a soil, will be annually am¬ 
ply remunerated in full compensation. I present these 
two acres of corn for the first and second premiums on 
the first and second best acres of corn. 
Oats —I also present, gentlemen, two acres and 15 rods 
of oats, which produced within a fraction of 174 bushels, 
weighing 34 lbs. to the bushel. The soil is the same as 
my corn land, alluvion bottom land ; it was planted to 
corn the previous year with 50 loads manure to the acre 
spread broadcast and plowed in ten inches deep ; it was 
plowed again ten inches deep, last spring, and sowed to 
oats about the 20th of April, If bushels of seed to the 
acre; harrowed thoroughly and rolled down smooth; the 
straw grew so rank and stout that it stood up well, and 
the oats, when reaped, stood over six feet high on an 
average, with long heavy heads and well filled. I will 
here remark that it is a mistaken notion to seed with 
more than two bushels of oats to the acre, whenever the 
soil is, or has been well manured the year previous; by 
seeding thus sparingly, the straw has more and better 
opportunity to expand and grow larger and stronger, and 
the crops will be less likely to lodge; the heads will ma¬ 
ture better, and more bushels will be obtained to the 
acre. Another important consideration in seeding oat 
land sparingly is, if we are desirous of seeding to grass, 
the grass seed will take root much better than when the 
oats are sown thick, and fall down in consequence. It is 
a common saying among farmers, that oats are a bad crop 
with which to seed down to grass; I have always practiced 
seeding to grass with my oat crop, and never even in the 
dryest seasons have I lost a single grass seeding. 
These two acres and 15 rods of oats, yield at the rate 
of 83 bushels to the acre. I offer them for the first and 
second best acres of oats. 
Now if farmers would consider and consult their best 
interests, and would cultivate their farms in some way 
similar to the above statements, they would not only 
raise their corn and other grains with half the labor, but 
after the land is laid down to grass, it will yield double 
the quantity of hay, and will hold out three times longei 
than land cultivated in the ordinary way. 
No good farmer will half starve his horses, cattle, sheep 
or swine; neither should he half starve his land. If he 
does, in the end it will more than half starve him. J. W. 
Colburn. Springfield, Vt., Jan. 12, 1852 
Unruly Cattle. 
Eds. Cultivator—As your valuable paper is for en 
lightening the farming community, and a little informa 
tion, however simple, communicated at times to onr 
another, is often found very useful, I will throw in a 
small share for the benefit of yonr subscribers. Being 
troubled with some unruly cattle, that defied all my at. 
tempts to subordination, I hit upon the following reme 
dy which has proved very successful. I took an old boot 
cut off the foot, slit and spread it out, and fastened it ir 
front of their eyes by means of a short string, passing 
through the straps and around their horns. The animal 
though a little “ blinded,” seems to be at no great incon 
venience. The remedy though simple may be found 
useful if you consider it worth inserting. J.P. Phillips 
Florida, Montgomery co., N. Y. 
