136 
WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY 
cess. Salt seems to be the most effective, but if used in suffi¬ 
cient quantity, it is apt to destroy the corn also. 
Manure may be applied at any time to the field intended for 
corn ; taking care not to leave it in heaps over winter, as these 
retain the frost so long that they are serious impediments to 
the breaking up of the land in spring. 
The planting should take place as early as the ground is suf¬ 
ficiently warm to germinate the seed. First rate seed does not 
rot in the ground so easily as many suppose. But poor seed 
will decay in cool ground, that might do well if the ground 
were warm. Many more fields of this noble plant are injured 
or destroyed by early frosts in autumn than by late frosts in 
spring. One day gained in spring planting is nearly equal, in 
maturing the plant, to two days in the fall; because the alti¬ 
tude of the sun, as well as the duration of sunshine, are much 
greater in May than they are in September. Corn planted be¬ 
tween the fifth and fifteenth of May is almost certain to ma¬ 
ture. In this case, from ninety to one hundred days are gen¬ 
erally sufficient. When planted very late in May or early in 
June it requires about one month longer time, and is much 
more exposed to killing frosts. 
The planting should be done rapidty, so as to secure uniform¬ 
ity in ripening; and for this reason the farmer ought to employ 
a sufficient number of hands to finish the w r ork in three or 
four days at the most. The ground should be thoroughly dragged 
and made quite mellow, then marked straight both ways. 
From three feet and a quarter to three feet and a half is suffi¬ 
ciently wide between the rows for the kinds generally raised 
in our state. Dent corn possibly requires wider spaces. Where 
more room is given than necessary, the vacant space is usurped 
by unprofitable weeds, causing more labor in cultivation and a 
smaller crop of corn. We prefer to plant corn with the hoe, 
not having yet discovered a planting machine as reliable as 
the primitive way. Not more than four nor less than three 
kernels should be dropped in each hill. Three good stalks are 
sufficient for a full crop. We never plant more than three 
kernels, having first ascertained that the seed is reliable. In 
