art has been a subject of some differences of opinion; there is a
disposition to crowd it too near together. In western New York, where
much attention has been given to it, the usual distance is three and one
half feet each way; others plant four feet apart. On all land we have
ever seen, we believe four feet apart each way, with four or five stalks
in a hill, will produce the largest yield. It lets in the sun
sufficiently around every hill, and the proportion of ears to the stalks
will be larger than in any other distance. Planting with a span of
horses, and a planter on which a man can ride and plant two rows at
once, is the easiest and most expeditious. We can not too strongly
recommend harrowing corn as soon as it comes out of the ground. It
increases the crop, and saves much expense in cultivating. All planters
should know that Indian corn is one of those plants which will come to
maturity at a certain age, whether it be large or small; hence, anything
that will increase the growth while young will add to the product. Corn
neglected when small receives, thereby, an injury from which it will
never recover; after-hoeing may help it, but never can fully restore it.
If there are small weeds, the harrowing will destroy them, and give all
the strength of the soil to the young corn; if there are no weeds, the
effect of the harrowing will be to give the young plants twice as large
a growth in the first two weeks as they would make without it. Harrow
with a =V= drag, with the front tooth out, that the remaining
teeth may go each side of the row. Use two horses, allowing the row to
stand between them; let the harrow-teeth run as near the corn as
possible. Never plant corn until the soil has become warm enough to make
it come up quickly and grow rapidly. If you feed corn to cattle whole,
feed it with the husks on, as it will compel them to chew it better,
and will thus be a great saving. Crib corn only when very dry, and avoid
the Western and Southern method of leaving cribs uncovered; the corn
thus becomes less valuable for any use. A little plaster or wood-ashes
applied to corn on first coming up, and again when six inches high, will
abundantly repay cost and labor;--it will pay even on the prairie-lands
of the West, and is quite essential on the poorer soils of the East and
North. It had better never be neglected. The crop will weigh more to the
acre, by allowing it to stand as it grew, until thoroughly dry. The next
larger