Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-05-21
The Cultivation Of Corn.


gers have to be taken into consideration |
than in any other country in the world |
The soil is rich beyond cavil and easily |
worked the climate admirably adapted to |
the crop, and the autumns all that could |
be desired for safely harvesting the prod |
uct.
On fall-plowed land, as q rule, we have |
not found it necessary to replow in the |
spring, unless in exceptional cases where |
the soil has been rendered compact and |
hard during the winter and spring. This |
will seldom be the case on lands suitable |
to fall-plowing, or upon rolling land. If
left rough so that it may receive the con-
tinued action of the air, the rains and the
frosts it will usually be in such condition
that good tilth may be narrowed up.
Then, by the use of the harrow bull
tongues, as heretofore recommended, a
deep tilth may be obtained, But if, from
any reason, the land becomes impacted, it
will be found cheaper to replow the land
lightly, say three or four inches, than to
attempt to get the soil in condition with
cultivators.
The greatest mistake that we have found
among many cultivators in the West is
that the soil is worked while so wet that it
becomes lumpy-thus adding to the cost
of cultivation, and also damaging the
yield in sure proportion to the roughness
of the soil On all soils liable to this con-
ingency the value of fall-plowing, with
out spring replowing, will be duly appre-
ciated, and upon no soils should the land
be plowed until the furrow will cast from
the mold-board in a perfectly friable state.
Neither should fall-plowed land be har-
rowed until the soil is firm enough so that
it will harrow even and smooth. 1t is
true that occasionally spring will be so
wet that the land will not come into proper
condition for blowing before it is again
soaked. Nevertheless, the farmer who
touches his land while out of condition
surely pays for his temerity. The only
compromise allowable, if not in really
good condition, is to harrow, and roll
smooth, Immediately after plowing, or be-
fore the land is sufficiently air-dried to
break. And here, again, the utility of fall
plowing will be apparent, since the top OF
| the soil will be fit for narrowing before it
is really fit to plow. Thus we have
touched upon the main points up to the
time when the soil is plowed, narrowed
and ready for planting.
Straight rows both ways not only show
| the careful farmer, but, without this, you
cannot cultivate evenly or uniformly close
to the hill while the corn is yet young, and,
if not, no after cultivation will econom-
ically destroy the weeds. Fully one-half
the corn-fields of the country, when
marked evenly and straight one way, are
unevenly checked round the other. To
drop the corn just right requires that the
machine be in perfect order and also that
it be so arranged that the corn is held at
the proper point, so that it may be depos-
tied when the corn is set free for the next
hill. To do this perfectly requires calcu-
lation; and the dropper cannot do it un-
less first instructed. To do this, the lever
must be moved so that the corn will reach
the ground just as the heel of the shse
reaches the marked space. A careful ex-
animation of this subject will enable the
operator-to so time the moving of the
lever Just before the planter reaches the
mark as to insure accurate dropping both
ways We have seen men utterly fail in
this and girl of thirteen succeed per-
fectly. In fact girls, as rule, are
more successful than boys, for the
reason that they attend more closely to
what they have to do than boys. 1t is nc
mean item in the cost of cultivation, since
the question of weeds or no weeds viii
make difference often of half the prod
uct.
Deep or shallow planting is question
that has been variously discussed. The
fact is that here the individual planter
must exercise judgment according to the
, condition and nature of his soil. On very
, dry, and especially loose, soils deepe
J planting is necessary to secure due moist
| ure than on heavier soils. For ourselves
' we prefer shallow planting, say not NOR
{ than two inches deep; and also confes
t we like those planters which raise sligh
ridge over the planting. They cannot
g however, be successfully used on trash!
. land, or that in bad condition. If thu
planted, the harrow is pretty sure to xii
the weeds effectually in the row; and th
r next cultivation with the harrow-share
enables you to work close to the corn with
out danger of covering.
: Corn will germinate and come up health,
I at depth of three inches. Beyond thi
9 depth it is uncertain. If the conditions o
T moisture are perfect, the proper depth /
d from one to one and one half inches; bu
r here again the harrow must be taken int
I accounts and thus, in practice, from tw'
9 to three inches has been found TO be prett,
i nearly right, one year with another.
. Thick and thin planting is another int
: ger that must be taken into account AS
I rule, the richer the land the closer tn
K rows may be, and the thicker the planting
e In the South, on some of the worn landl
r Care must, however, be taken that tn
. land be not over-cropped with stalk
d However rich the sOil-and we hav
a worked some heavily ly-manured ones-w
# have never succeeded perfectly with fielC
8 corn at less than three feet eight inches bI
,. tween rows, or with more than three stalk
p in the hill If the corn is drilled tn
t grains may be one foot apart
p 1t is true that about the same yield ma
G be obtained with four stalks in the hill
e but the ears will be shorter, and thus lo
e will ensue in the husking Three feet te
y inches, the usual width of Western mi
l. chimes, will be found to be about the rigl
n distance apart.
@ When corn is drilled and carefully Gu
s, tivated the yield will usually be from on
Is fifth to one-sixth greater than if in hill
n but, except ON new or very clean land, tn
y is more than counterbalanced by the il
Is creased cost of cultivation. 1t will, II
N deed, pay to hoe field of corn rather tina
e. have It weedy; but il must be remember6
10 that il win double the cost of cultivate
N no mean item when fields are OftC
1, counted by hundreds of acres. There
d however, no need TO touch q hoe 10 u
IN field, as a rule, If the cultivation has bee
iy proper.
e. This may be summed up thus; Ha'
n the land in proper tilth harrow both wa.
,r If necessary-and just as the corn
le terminating, and again just as blade
ye here and there passing through the sol
TX keep the cultivator going, as heretofore
IN rected, until the corn is four feet high, al
1t then continue with a single horse imp
Q. nent II weeds appear that are likely 10
M IN seed The field should be passed oV