VOL. XXXI.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., APRIL 18, 1896.
NO. 16
EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT.
How   Do   You  Plant   and   Cultivate
Corn
lst Premium.—Assuming that tho plow-
in*,' and preparation of the soil is right, I
would plant with a two-horse drill that
lias spreaders or shovel, that opens out a
furrow two to three inches deep and wide
enough for the wheel of the drill to run
in without pressing the sides down. The
drill should be three feet, eight inches
wide, and set to drop 10 inches. Now you
have your corn in a furrow two to three
inches below the general surface, and
when you have filled that furrow by cultivation you have hill enough and a level
surface. I have used the spring tooth
double cultivator exclusively for the last
live or six years, and see no reason to
change. The main root or stalk of corn
does not grow downward. So it starts
from the seed upward and if you plant on
the surface you do not get root enough
for a dry season. Each stalk has three
whorls of roots, and if planted on the
surface the upper whorl does not enter
the soil deep enough to form, feeders, but
merely forms spurs; but when planted,
deeper they form feeders and produce
better stalks and ears, and do not blow
down so readily. The cultivation should
be such as to break few roots as possible
Do your cultivation early in the season,
I and as much of it as possible before you
plant, and you will find no trouble in
keeping drilled com clean.
Marlon Co. I. N. Cotton.
After having my ground nicely prepared I lay it off in rows about three and
a half feet apart each way. Contrary to
most I lay it off very deep but I do not
cover deep, not more than an inch and a
half at most. I drop two grains of corn
to the hill, that has been carefully selected from good seed. When the corn
begins to peep through the ground I roll
it. In a week or 10 days I cultivate it
very close and deep. In a week or 10 days
more I cultivate it crossways in the same
manner. After this I cultivate it three
or four more times, about a week or 10
days apart, but I set my cultivator very
shallow; about an inch deep. I then let
it rest until gathering time. Before I lay
it by I sow one piece in rye for fall and
winter pasture. I aim to keep my ground
as level as possible as I think it holds
moisture better. Benj. Wili-Iams.
Harrison Co.
With a proper preparation of seed bed,
I am ready generally, the 20th of May to
plant my corn. This idea I have followed
for past seven years—being ridiculed by
my more energetic neighbors—and while
I was alone, in '95, every one planted
aud replanted, yet on the "24th" of
M&y I planted, with a result envied by
■"11 those that ridiculed. I have never replanted corn, I have never planted before the 15th of May, and prefer to plant
'n drills, using a two horse drill, rows
three feet six inches and 16 inches in the
"ow, letting the drill in rather deep. With
this method of planting, I commence to
'titivate after corn is up about three
Inches, with a rianet Jr , five-hoed cultivator I go once in a middle, following im-
wcdiately with a two horse cultivator,
*"ith one inch shovels—keeping as close
M possible to corn, (I never use clod
'"riders), this method for first and second
rWings. Third and fourth with larger
'hovels—one and one-half and two inch,
atld farther from corn. This always
le~.ves ground level, and always clean. I
claim a crop is half tended when a proper
ae~d bed is prepared. I further claim
titne is wasted by planting too early—and
""any failures by plowing to shallow
*hen corn is small, and too deep when it
" too far advanced. With a proper prep-
I tration of seed bed, and planting at a time
not earlier than May 15th, and cultivating
as mentioned, I have for seven years,
raised from 40 to 05 bushels per acre,
when the general average of my neighbors would be considerably less.
Decatur Co. J. W. C.
—The Illinois Station Bulletin No. 12,
says that in seven years "medium plantings grow faster, attain a greater development, and secure a higher yield than
extremely early or extremely late planting." From 1st to 20th May gavo best results in central Illinois.
In the first place we will suppose tho
seed bed, has been carefully prepared.
Then I take a marker mado with three
steel runners and mark the field off in
rows, straight ahd an even distance apart-
Follow this with a common corn planter,
drilling the seed in the furrows thus
made, covering it from one to two inches
deep. Tho marker being three row, and
the planter two, It follows that the rows
must be even or the planter will not lit in
the marks. Cultivation should commence
four or five days after planting, generally
with a harrow, especially if there has
been a rain and the weeds have sprouted.
A harrow with small teeth and a lever to
changa the slope of them is the best.
With such a tool the corn may be harrowed once or twice after it is up. I usually start the spring tooth cultivator as
soon as the corn is one to two inches high
If there have been any heavy rains, to
pack the ground and make It hard, I have
the points sharp and let them go as deep
as they ~.\ ill. After the corn is four or
five inches high it begins to send out its
roots across the rows and then tho cultivation must be shallow, not to exceed
two and one-half inches. Keep the surface as level as possible, and at the last
instead of laying it by with, ridges I use
drag a that goes between tho rows, thus
making the ground smooth with a dnst
mulch on top. A. V. M.
Hamilton Co.
—A drag firms the surface too much-
Why not use a Planet Jr., or harrow.
Have the land well underdrained, 100
feet apart for lines of drains give good
results here. Save all the manure and
spread on the thinnest land. Plow with
three horse Oliver steel plow with jointer.
Plow six lo eight inches deep. Pulverize the ground with a lever, spring tooth
harrow, so set as to require four horses
or mules to pull it. Follow with drag 12
feet long. The construction of this drag
is as follows: Take two pieces 4x4
inches, 12 feet;place them 20 inches apart.
NairixG oak 20 inches long, for bottom.
For drag teeth use llx'' steel harrow
teeth, placed six inches apart, at an angle
of 45 degrees slanting backward, same in
each of the 4x4 pieces; breaking spaces.
Fasten stay chains two feet from each
end for hitch. We place a board about
four feet long at center of drag, extending backward,on which the driver stands
and by shifting his position, disengages
dragging trash, etc., and allows drag to
pass over same. The Dungan while prolific is the best seed corn for us. Select
the earliest maturing ears before the
fodder is ripe enough to save. Seed corn
selected early will grow and will often
make 10 bushels more to the acre than
corn selected later. We nail lath to
under side of joist of crib and carriage
shed, thus making good rat and mouse
proof, and an airy place for keeping tho
seed until seeding time. W.
REVIEW.
The different methods of our corres.
pondents may be partly owing to the
climate, soil, etc., but nearly all agree in
shallow cultivation after tho first early
plowing.
Nature never plows deep after growing
begins. Many farmers keep their soil so
full of humus that it will not get hard_
especially, if a  good  surface   tillage  is
given. Soils are sometimes kept too
loose. Nature's soil below two inches is
pretty lirm. So roots are constantly in
touch with soil particles. We all agree it
should not be hard and humus, say from
green crops and strawy manure and a
good mulch to hold dampness, is the best
protection against gutting hard.
I am surprised that nearly half still
plant in hills. Nature always broadcasts. We improve on nature by broadcasting in straight lines so we can cultivate. You say the roots will occupy all
the soil any how. This is true only when
growth is far advanced. Tlie biggest
growth is in June, while the roots are yet
fighting for existence. We once had a
field drilled and one hilled. It was a dry
year and any ono could tell, as the loads
camo to tho crib, which field thoy were
from. The most nubbins wore from hilled
corn. Other conditions were much tho
same.
Mr. Cotton makes a good point on corn
growing up not down from seed. Corn is
a grass and comes to the top like wheat
and sends whorls of roots out from joints,
not unlike umbrella ribs, outwards and
downwards.
On account of this surface habit of the
plant's root-growth we surely must commend dropping the surface of the hill bolow the general level of the seed bed, as
iu a furrow. But do not make tho mistake of harrowing the furrow full beforo
the stalk has time to come up and stool.
After once coming to the surface it will
not change tho second time, no difference
hos* much dirt is piled around it. I once
slipped a keg over a stalk and filled It
with dirt. You can make joints above the
level throw out roots by adding dirt.
This is best done by gradually tilling the
furrow. I also want to commend the
practice of covering shallow, one to ono
and one-half inches. If in the bottom of
furrow this is deep enough. I am glad
to see that no one proposes to get corn
rooted deep by covering deep at planting,
you get a spindling stalk aud the corn as
near the surface as if planted shallow.
All corn stalks of field varloties have
have about 22 joints. Three to seven of
these are below ground. Hoots nevor
come out except at a joint. The top root
always dies.
We have so much good copy we will divide it in two issues, pushing all other
topics forward one week. I'll speak of
cultivation next week. Some copy came
too late. Must reach me by the Wednesday before the week published, aicept
thanks. E. II Collins.
same. He went into unbroken pine
woods. Our land was all ready to go to
work on, with substantial buildings, etc.
And according to Mr. C, Mr. Danley has
now all necessary buildings, etc., and sold
off his farm last year over $5,000 worth of
produco. He probably did not get much
from off his farm for the first few years
We got as much then as now, but I never"
sold oft my placo $5,000 worth in one
year, nor anything near it, yet we have
dono fairly well and are not complaining.
I have said that 1 would never leave the
gas belt as long as there was any gas.
But I feel liko adding now, unless I go to
a place where flre is not needed.
Howard Co. W. M. Voorhis.
No. 10. April 25.—How do you fight
drouth?
No. 11. May. 2. What is tho best farm
fence and cost per rod?
No. 12. May 9. Do you prefer mutual insurance or stock companies?   Why?
This Department is under the editorial
charge of E. II.Collins, Carmol, Hamilton
connty, to whom all copy should be addressed. The success of this department
depends upon the copy sent by practical
farmers. A premium of $1, 75 cents and
50 cents is given to the best three articles
sent us, as we wish to encourage writing
right from the field. Don't wait on some
one else.   We thank you for past favors.
A Comparison.
Editors Indiana Fabmeb:
Through tho publication in the Farm En
of letters from residents of the Western
Highlands of Florida, I have become interested in the colony scheme. My wife
and I were somewhat acquainted with
Mr. Chandlee and also Mr. and Mrs. Danley, ot whose farm and its products Mr.
C. gave such a minute description of in a
recent number of the Farmer, and
which naturally compelled a comparison
between Mr. Danley and myself. He
left Marlon county for Florida the same
timo we left it for Howard county, Indiana.   He has 100 acres  and we havo the
LETTER FROM PROF. COX, THE FORMER GEOLOGIST OF INDIANA.
Florida Soil and its Great Phosphate Resources.
Kditors Indiana Farmer:
Accept my thanks for the papers which
came duly to hand. I have examined
your prospectus for colonization in Florida, with much interest. Tho plan of organization I consider a good one.
I have been in Florida, much of tho
time, during tho last five years, and have
paid close attention to its mineral and agricultural resources. I know of no State
in the Union, where a poor man can make
money as surely as lie can hero by farm-
-__.*;.- It only require: '.i-A'-siry j-nYi-r'^iy-
and a proper attention to .'.':,siness.
A man must not come to Florida, and
expect to live without work, unless ho
has plenty of money.
I havo not been in the immediate neighborhood of the Indiana Farmer colony
lands, but have a general knowledge of
their productive quality. The sandy soil
of Florida, contrary to its looks, contains
all the mineral elements of fertility in a
state, so finely subdivided that it is readily assimulated by plants. If you cut off
a twig from a tree or shrub, stick it into
the ground, giving plenty of water and it
will grow.
Owing to the facility with which plants
obtain their mineral food, from Florida
soil, comes the necessity of an annual restoration of mineral fertilizers. Fortunately one of the most important mineral
manures exists in Florida, in quantity
heretofore unknown to the world. Florida phosphates are not only used at home
but are shipped to Europe, since phosphoric acid constitutes the foundation of
all mineral manures. When I first came
to Florida, aU the line forms of phosphate,
commonly called "soft phosphate," wero
thrown away; the pebble, hard rock or
boulders were alone sent to market.
I was the first to write up and maintain
the fact that the waste soft phosphate
when dried and ground to a fine powder,
constituted of itself a cheap and efficient
manure. In spite of the strong opposition given by manufacturers of complex
and expensive fertilizers, it has gradually
worn its way Into public favor. Now,
thousands of tons are prepared and sold
all over the country. The rapidly growing demand is sufficient proof of its efficiency.
Tho Portland Chemical aud Phosphate
Company, of Albion, Florida, have put up
substantial buildings and machinery for
preparing fine ground phosphate of a
high grade, which they sell at ".6 a ton, f.
o. b. They also make mixtures containing an ample quantity of ammonia and
potash, as well as other salts that adopt
it as a complete manure, tliat is, a manure
that supplies all the mineral food required
by plants.
I wish the Indiana Farmer Colony all
the success that its liberal policy should
command. E. T, Cox.
Albion, Florida.
Hussia was declared free from cholera
on the 24th of February for the first time
since 188s.
ft