White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1872-05-16

CULTHvATING AND nsk1NG cesN.

After farmers have plowed and put in the seed,
ever 80 we'll, their work is by no means done To-
wards producing abundant crop Of grain. Ma
ture has made abundant provision for occupying
tbe entire soil with growing plants, by scattering
the seeds of hardy weeds all over the land, which
will usually vegetate than seed that is put
into the soil for crop. Therefore nnelss culti-
waited plants be assisted in ther growth, noxious
choke their growth, and thus prevent their proper
development and fructihcatlon.
In order to prevent weeds from OutstrippiDg
the crops the seed is frequently planted in rows,
so that Nature can be assisted in keeping the
weeds down, and the soil light and mellow by
some mechanical means, either by plOws, cultiva-
tors or hand hoes. When manual labor is ex-
pensive as it is at present, NO labor should be
performed by hand which can be done more ex-
peditiously and more easily with q horse. In
cultivating corn, sorghum, broom corn and pota-
toes, labor is too expensive to perform any con-
siderable portion of such work with hand hoes.
STILL hand hoeing is essential, and cannot be dis
pensed with entirely. But the great proportion
of the work, in order to make farming pay, must
be done with horses, as one horse will be able to
perform quite much, even at hOeing corn, as
five or six faithful laborers, if proper tools be
provided and team and implements are managed
with skill.
The old way of dressing out hoed crops with
pillow, is quite Objectionable. and by no means an
economical way of performing hand labor. A
pillow is decidedly objectionable, in dressing out
Indian corn, for example, because it tears of too
many roots of the growing plants. When the
pillow is near the hills, it Injuries the corn
riOusly all the roots are cut off on the side
where the pillow is driven.
Another objection to pillow among growing
corn is, it leaves the surface Of the ground in
ridges. Well-cOnducted experiments have proved,
that level cultivation will produce larger yield
d grain than ridges, or hills. Another weighty
objection is it is not effective as q horse hoe
in roofing up weeds and grass and much more
hand hOeing is required to dress ont a growing
crop. when pillow has been used betweeO the
good horse hoe, that will run only few inches
deep, lOOsening up the entire space between the
rows, without root-pruning the growing plants.
If we examine the roots of growing corn, or
sorghum, we will find, that when the leaves are
only few inches long, the lateral roots are fire.
9uently eight or ten inches long. Such plants
are injured seriously by cutting, or tearing of
those long roots. A good horse hoe will scarify
the surface Of the ground, if managed with skill,
from one row to the other, without disturbing
those long roots. With a plow, it cannot be DONE
BY adjusting horse hoe properly, and managing
it skllfnlly, the outside teeth may be run only
or two inches deep, and SO closely to the rows,
that all the young weeds and grass VIII be smoth-
ered or torn up; and no labor will be required
with hand hoes, except what one faithful boy
could perform, as fast active man can dress
ont the growing crop with the horse hoe. Where
there is too much dirt thrown up against the
plints II tDTlSt Win Il uot w lcNci uOWu the
face, will be all sufficient. When large weeds,
a tuft of grass appears near the middle of the
hill, it is better for the growing plants to pull
them up, than to cut such weeds up with a sharp
hoe. If the soil is clean and mellow around the
hills, il will not pay to hanl any soil around the
plants. Sometimes the seed was disposed so near
the surface of the ground, that the growing corn
appears to stand on the surface. and to maintain
an erect position with great difficulty. All such
hills should have little soil drawn up to them,
TO, fI,., xx-ill anall fI,o
brace roots to enter the ground above the seeon-
Diary roots of the young plants, which will keep
the heavy stalks erect, after tho ears have APP
pearesl.
Some lab0rers always strike the blade of the
hoe into the ground, all around the growing corn,
or any other plants. This practice is decidedly
detrimental, as large proportion of the longest
roots cut off. Root-pruning corn, sorghum,
potatoes, pumpkins, or flowers of any kind, re-
tards their growth. Annual plants never require
root pruning. Indeed, roOt-pruning Injuries a
crop of corn to such an extent, as to lessen the
yield several bushels per acre.