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market in years past, but in importance it is now second only to wheat. 
Certainly, Wisconsin, especially its central and southern portions, are 
good corn districts, not equal, it is true, to the best found in Illinois and 
other more southern latitudes, but capable of producing comparatively 
heavy yields. The Southern Dent is the kind that is mostly raised, and is 
said to be the most profitable. In preparing the ground for corn, there 
need be no fears of stirring the soil too deeply—it is a crop that requires 
deep plowing—I care not how rich the soil, the crop will be none the 
worse for deep plowing. The time for preparing the land for the seed 
should be immediately previous to that of planting, which in Wiscon¬ 
sin may be set down at from the 15th to the 25th of May; I am aware 
that many plant early in May, and insist that it must be planted by the 
tenth of that month to insure a crop—this is a mistake. It is well known 
to all who have lived here ten years, and observed the seasons closely, 
that we are much more liable to have frosts between the 1st and the 15th 
of May than between the 1st and the 25th of September. Four months 
of warm weather will mature a corn crop. But many tell us that if corn 
is killed by frost early it will come up again and grow; this is true, but 
the crop will be none the better for the early planting. Corn is a tender 
plant, and requires warm weather to flourish. I have seen many fields 
planted after the 20th of May outstrip those that were planted as early 
as the tenth, and compelled to struggle through a week or fortnight of 
cool, chilling weather accompanied with some frosts. If the ground is 
prepared about the time I have specified, and planted immediately after¬ 
wards, it will require but little labor to cultivate a crop of corn; a horse 
with a plow or cultivator will do most of the work in freeing it from 
weeds if the rows are so arranged as to run at right angles. But let the 
ground lie two or three weeks after being plowed previous to planting 
and the weeds will make a great show ere the corn is scarcely out of the 
ground, and will grow much faster. The corn crop of Wisconsin has, 
until within the last two years, been mostly consumed at home, either in 
making pork or feeding stock during the winter season. The time has 
now come, however, when it is beginning to be shipped eastward in con¬ 
siderable quantities, which will be increased annually. The prairies are 
thought to be rather better for growing corn than the opening country ; 
the soil is so rich and loose and the land so free from stone and obstruc¬ 
tions of every kind, that a crop can be cultivated with less cost. 
