The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-05-20
The Cultivation Of Corn.

lister.
The Cultivation Of Corn.
In the cultivation of the crops in the
great corn region of the West fewer inte-
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 a 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. II
| 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 filth may be narrowed up.
Then, by the use of the harrow bull
| tongues, as heretofore recommended, a
| deep filth 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-
urgency 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 perfectly friable state.
Neither should fall-plowed land be har
rowed until the sell is firm enough so that
il 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 blowing, or be-
fore the land is sufficiently air-dried to
break. And here, again, the utility of fall
blowing will be apparent, since the top of
the soil will be fit for narrowing before it
is really fit to pillow. 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
ii 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 I'M
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 shoe
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 Il 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 no
mean item in the cost of cultivation, since
the question of weeds or no weeds will
make difference often of half the prod
uct.
Deep or shallow planting is a 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 deeper
planting is necessary to secure due moist
ure than on heavier soils For ourselves
we prefer shallow planting, say not more
than two inches deep; and also confess
we like those planters which raise a slight
ridge over the planting. They cannot,
however, be successfully used on trashy
land, or that in bad condition If thus
planted, the harrow is pretty sure to kill
the weeds effectually in the row; and the
next cultivation with the harrow shares
enables you to work close to the corn with
out danger of covering
Corn will terminate and come up healthy
at depth of three inches. Beyond this
depth it is uncertain. If the conditions of
moisture are perfect, the proper depth is
from one TO one and one-half inches; but
here again the harrow must be taken into
account; and thus, in practice, from two
to three inches has been found to be pretty
nearly right, one year with another.
Thick and thin planting is another int
ger that must be taken into account As a
rule, the richer the land the closer the
rows may be, and the thicker the planting
In the South, on some of the worn lands,
five feet or more is sometimes given.
Care must, however, be taken that the
land be not over-cropped with stalks.
However rich the soil-and we have
worked some heavily manured ones-we
have never succeeded perfectly with field
corn at less than three feet eight inches be-
tween rows, or with more than three stalks
in the hill. If the corn is drilled the
grains may be one foot apart.
1t is true that about the same yield may
be obtained with four stalks in the hill,
but the ears will be shorter, and thus loss
will ensue in the husking. Three feet ten
inches, the usual width of Western ma
chimes, will be found to be about the right
distance apart.
When corn is drilled and carefully cul-
tivated the yield will usually be from one
fifth to one-sixth greater than if in hills;
but, except on new or very clean land, this
Is more than counterbalanced by the in
creased cost of cultivation 1t will, in
httuf pay W Hut II lltlu Dl corn TaIDeT
have it weedy; but it must be remembered
that it Will double the cost of cultivation
no mean item when fields are often
counted by hundreds of acres There is,
however, no need to touch hoe TO. the
field, as rule, if the cultivation has been
proper.
This may be summed up thus: Have
the land in proper filth; harrow both ways
If necessary-and just as the corn is
terminating, and again just as blade is
here and there passing through the soil
keep the cultivator going, as heretofore di-
rected, until the corn is four feet high, and
then continue with single horse nipple
mcnt if weeds appear that are likely to 90
to seed. The field should be passed over
during the growing season at least once in
ten days. Even under this system sixty
acres may be worked to the team and still
allow for ordinary loss from wet weather.
-"Farm and Garden, in Chicago Tribune