. The American farmer. A hand-book of agriculture for the farm and garden ... Agriculture. 88 FARMER S HAND-BOOK. Fig. 50. may be merely dropped upon the hills. It is common to make a mixture ol these with lime and plaster ; but there is no doubt that the main benefit of the mixture proceeds from the live ashes. Poudrette is also applied, and with good effect — one gill to each hill; it pushes the young corn forward with such rapidity as to place it very soon beyond danger from the grub, cut-worm, and other insect depredators. The same end may also be pro- moted by soaking the seed twenty-four
. The American farmer. A hand-book of agriculture for the farm and garden ... Agriculture. 88 FARMER S HAND-BOOK. Fig. 50. may be merely dropped upon the hills. It is common to make a mixture ol these with lime and plaster ; but there is no doubt that the main benefit of the mixture proceeds from the live ashes. Poudrette is also applied, and with good effect — one gill to each hill; it pushes the young corn forward with such rapidity as to place it very soon beyond danger from the grub, cut-worm, and other insect depredators. The same end may also be pro- moted by soaking the seed twenty-four or thirty-six hours in solutions of saltpetre, urine, the drainings of the stables and the cattle-yards. Strong solutions of copperas, blue vitriol, are sometimes used. To protect the seed against its enemies, some farmers soak the seed twelve to twenty hours in hot water, in which are dissolved a few ounces of crude saltpetre, and then add (say to eight quarts of seed) half a pint of tar, previously warmed and diluted with a quart of warm water. The mass is well stirred, the corn taken out, and as much plaster added as will adhere to the grain. This impregnates and partially coats the seed with tar. Number of Grains to the Hill, and Depth of Planting.—Where there is reason to ap- prehend much mischief to the young plants from blackbirds, crows, insects, and other vermin, it is best to plant four to seven grains in each hill, so that some of them may have a chance to escape. The deficiency usually attempted to be made up by replanting otlier grain, but the product of this replant is too often feeble, and so late in maturing as to be frequently injured by the frost in autumn. A better plan is to replant with the surplus of other hills, though this requires a damp and very favorable condition of the weather. As to the proper depth of covering for the seed, much difi*erence of opinion exists. The corn-planter here figured has the ad- vantage of pushing the grain down in t
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectagriculture, bookyear
