252 WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
it will come up if it does not lie in the water, when other corn 
which might grow under favorable circumstances would not. 
Shell a few weeks before planting; thoroughly mix, and al¬ 
ways try the seed by putting it between grass sods wet with 
warm water, and kept under the stove. The result will be 
seen in a few days. I consider it necessary to renew seed 
quite often from several hundred miles south, for the main 
crop, as dent corn soon degenerates. If selected right, one and 
a half bushel will make one bushel shelled corn. 
Preparation of the Ground.— Under this head there are 
a great many points, many of which I will omit, or only re¬ 
fer to slightly. When to plow, and how deep to plant must 
be found out by experiment, taking into consideration the 
quality of the soil, how it is to be planted and tilled. For 
clay land planted by hoe, without brushing or harrowing, I 
prefer fall plowing; on land which does not baize , spring 
plowing. 
Manuring— While a little is better than none, it is difficult 
to get on too much, unless it be on the site of an old barn¬ 
yard, sheep fold, or something of the kind. I would haul out 
any kind, through the winter and spring, and plow in. If the 
land is far from the barn, take out a load morning and noon 
when going to work. Upon all good corn land free from ob¬ 
structions, I would proceed to fit and plant as follows: For 
timothy and clover sod use a double plow, that is, two plows 
on one beam ; a small plow with cutter, cutting about eight 
inches wide and four deep, attached to the beam in front of 
a large one in the rear, cutting more than twice as wide, going 
eight, ten or more inches deep, according to strength of team. 
In this way the earth is thrown over free from sod, and noplace 
is left for grass to come through. 
One great error in our corn raising is in not having 
the ground thoroughly prepared before planting, by harrowing, 
rolling and bushing, and .that too, right up to the time of 
marking, so that there will not be a young weed or blade of 
grass, or green thing growing before the corn is up. All prac- 
