350 
WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY 
choice ears will be overlooked. In this way, by exercising 
ordinary care, we may secure more perfect and compact ears 
and an earlier ripening of our corn crop, perhaps bringing it to 
maturity w T ithin one hundred days, and thus escape all fears of 
frost in the fall. 
There is much difference of opinion, as to whether it is bet¬ 
ter to hill up corn, or to leave it for close, level cultivation, 
passing the cultivator as near as possible without injury to the 
roots; from experiments made I conclude, that with the Dent 
varieties it is better to use th ( e hoe, and hill up considerable 
after the third cultivation, but with the smaller varieties, it is 
of no use whatever, an injury, rather than a benefit. When the 
corn is sufficiently matured, before the stalks begin to wither, 
it should be cut up, and placed in shocks for the final curing. 
I would secure all varieties, excepting the Dent, in this way. 
The Dent I would top for fodder, leaving the corn upon the 
stalks standing in the field ; when ready to gather, drive in your 
teams, pick the corn with the husks on and crib it. Dusking is 
a mere waste of time and money; it will keep and feed out, 
husks and all, just as well if not better; animals will be 
obliged to consume more time in getting at the corn, and con¬ 
sequently, it will be more slowly and better masticated. When 
the crop is gathered, turn in your cattle to consume what is 
left, taking particular care however, that they begin gradually, 
and have plenty of water and other food, until they become ac¬ 
customed to the fodder. In this way nearly all will be be con¬ 
sumed, without any danger to the stock from smut. 
In the spring, before the frost has left the ground, hitch 
your team to a stick of timber, of sufficient length to cover 
three rows of stalks, and of sufficient weight to break them 
down; then drive around the field as you intend to plow, and 
the stalks will be carried to the ground, and easily plowed 
under. In this way corn can follow corn, with profit to itself, 
and benefit to the land ; for a large portion is returned as 
manure to the soil from which the crop was taken. 
Other varieties of corn, should be cut up, and placed in 
