The distance between the rows of maize varies from two to four feet. In good ground the latter distance has produced the heaviest crop. The aced Is sousetimee sown in the furrow after the plough, and some times put in with a dibble. The latter seems the best way, and, as the rows are aide and the seeds need not be put in nearer than a foot apart in the rows, an acre will be soon dibbled by hand. Two or three inches deep is sufficient to make the seed germinate readily. In warm moist climates the plant is very soon above ground. In tine weather, and alien the seed has been steeped. it will be above ground in five or six days. When the plants are three or four inches out of the ground, and no frost Is feared, they are thinned out to two feet apart, amid in very rich soils three feet is Letter. In this case three or four ears may be expected to ripen on each stalk. In thin gulls on a retentive subsoil the earth is raised in ridges, or, what is Letter, in mounds, by croasing the ridges with the plough, awl throe or four seeds are put into each hillock, which are two or three feet apart. As the plants rise, only UDC, or at most two are left in each hillock, and the earth is carefully moulded up to the sterns; thus a deep dry bad Is provided for the plant, and there is sufficient moisture from the impenious subsoil. This method might perhaps be adopted with advantage in England, in experiments on maize, where the situation admits of its cultivation. Maize, however sown, must he repeatedly hoed. At the Brat hoeing the pi re ant. which aro too close are pulled up, and where there is a deficiency they are planted in : at lout, this is the practice in Europe ; but in America the general practice is to plant fresh seeds In the vacant places. When the plants are a foot high there is a woad hoeing, the weeds are then cut up, and some earth is drawn towards the plants and raised around the stems. The reason of this is, that there are *tetra] joint. very near each other at the bottom of the stein and from each of fibres strike out bite the soil which is into contact with it, and form fulditional roots, to the plant, aa they do from the crown of the roots of wheat. When the flowers are ready te exsarel, a third hoeing Is given, to kill weeds and open the surface of the soil slightly. The earth which le raised around the sterns should be flattened a little at top, and even slightly hollowed out hoar the stem, to collect the dews and rains In dry masons.. If any tillers or shoots appear from the bottom of the stein they should be carefully removed. as they thrniniah the nouriahment which should go to the main stern. A fourth hoeing and earthing up, at the time when the mead begins to swell, Is umful, but seldom given, for fear of unnecessary expense. III many countries they sow or plant various vegetables in the Intervals between the rows of maize, of which the most advantageous Ire turnips and cabbages, which may be sown or planted between the maize, after the last hoeing. French beans, except they be dwarfs, are not so proper, as they shade the maize and prevent its maturity. In warm climates cucumbers and melons are often raised there. In Caroline, where they hoe their maize only twice, a running weed springs up rapidly, which is much relished by cattle, and is cut several times before winter.
The time of flowering is very critical for the maize : a cold dung Atmosphere may make a groat part of the crop fail. In situations where this is to be feared, it is safe to sow maize at several times, with a week's interval : thus the risk is divided, and it is not so likely that the whole crop will be in flower in ungenial weather.
The male flowers, just as they expand, are excellent, food for cattle ; and it is usual in many places to cut off a great portion of them for this purpose. If it be done judiciously, there is no danger, presided n sufficient number of male flowers be left to impregnate the females : one in a square of about fifteen or twenty feet is thought sufficient.
After the seed is set it is customary, in many places, to cut off the whole top of the stem, with the upper leaves, and give them to the cattle ; but this is by no means to be recommended : the wound thus made bleeds, aud much of the sap is lost.. Besides, the upper leaves servo to elaborate the sap and assist its circulation; they should there fore be left on aa long as they are green, and other food found for the cattle.
All plants which stand too close or have no ears upon them should be pulled up and given to the cows, to give air to the rest ; all those also that are very late and have abortive ears should be taken up, as they would at all events not ripen their seed. The young oar is preserved as a pickle, like young cucumbers : when a little advanced it is roasted on the coals, or before the fire, and is pleasant to eat : in the green state, when the grains are still soft and milky, it is boiled, and used as a vegetable, and is considered a delicacy.
Maize is subject to diseases similar to those of wheat and other grain ; and it is supposed, as observed before, that the steeping and liming may prevent them in a great measure.
When the maize is fully ripe, which it is not until the sheath of the ear opens and appears quite dead, the ears are twisted off by hand and laid in a dry place; they are turned occasionally that the sheath may not become musty, and are then stored in a dry place : the geed keeps better so than when it is separated. The taking off the seeds from the ear is a laborious operation • it may be done by the flail, but is most easily accomplished by an old blunt sword or iron hoop fixed over a tub. The ears are rubbed hard over this edge, and the seeds fall into the tub. They have a simple machine in America, which does the work quickly. The core or rachis is only fit for burning in the oven. The leaves are gathered for fodder a short time before the ears are pulled. In America and in Italy they stuff mattresses with the dry sheath, which makes a cool and elastic bed.
All animals are fowl of maize, especially horses, pigs, and poultry ; it gives the flesh of the two Last a peculiarly fine flavour. The most profitable way to use maize in fattening animals is to grind it into meal, and mix it with warm water into a pottage ; nod, for horses, to soak it twenty-four hours in water before they are fed with it.. In the dry state it is so hard that it wears their teeth, and in young horses is apt to produce blindness by the exertion of the muscles of the jaw in chewing One of the most important uses of maize in Europe is to sow It thick, to be cut green as food for cows, oxen, and sheep. In a proper climate there is no plant which gives eo great a mass of green food as maize. The produce is most abundant and nutritive. The largest varieties should be chosen. The seed may bo sown in drills in April, and in September a crop might be mown, which would give admirable fodder for every kind of cattle. It is said to exhaust the laud ; but what will not exhaust It, more or less, which gives much nouriehnieut Maize will well repay the manure which may be required to restore the humus it has consumnod. If it is sown early, a second crop may be raised the same year ; for it does not spring up again, like grass, after being cut. Where the land admits of irrigation, the growth of the maize is most rapid and luxuriant The time to cut it is when the male flowers are just appearing out of the sheath in which they are enveloped in the early stage of their growth. It may be dried into hay, and will keep good for a couple of years; but in this state it must be bruised or soaked when given to cattle, as the stems get very hard in drying; they may however be cut, as the cane.tops are in the sugar plantations.