The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1877-05-17
farm Moffs.
Growing Corn in Dry Seasons.

/ will tell you how made fifty bnsh>
e'S Of corn per acre on an upland field,
some years ago, when there was scarce
! ly, any rain the entire season through.
| first broke the ground with two.
horse pillow, in the spring; this was SOL
ground. Then cross plowed it and
gave it a few good, genuine harrowings
with an iron tooth harrow. | do not
remember how often l plowed and har-
rowed the ground before planting, but
kept up the process Of piowing and
narrowing until the ground was we'll
pulverized and much resembled an ash
bed in appearance, aud then il WAS
planted. Scarcely drop Of rain came
until the corn was up; then l plowed 10
again in the dry. @
! The weather remained dry. scarcely x
drop of rain falling. So gave my corn
another good plowing while dry wealth
er continued. ..--
vent through 1t. l believe, the
! fourth time, while the ground was nl-
most burning ard sroreliing Not, then
laid it by TO rcst.and fight it's own way
the remainder of the season alone.
After the last plowing my corn twist
ed aud shrivcied mp at IL fearful rate.
and looked like dying. for the ground
was extremely hot and dry, and the sun
sent down its burning rays day after
day with mighty power and great heat.
| But before nv corn ceased to live there
came refreshing rain, and the coru
! put on new life, and the kinks came out
of it, and it grew with new vigor.
/ A. gathering time it yielded about
| fifty bushels per acre. and all becarse
the ground was put in good condition
before it was planted. aud then because
it was well titled during the dry wealth.
er which followed through the summer.
The corn was ready to silk and tassel
when the first rain Of the season came.
of much importance Hence l dem
onstrated the fact that il pays we'll to
prepare ground properly before seed
goes into il, and also that it pays we'll
to tend your corn NIL the same or more
50. if possible. when the season is dry.
The corn WAS not manfred, and the
ground was only moderately good and
productive in common seasons. Had |
not properly prepared the ground be-
fore planting, and then had not given
my corn proper cultivation during the
dry weather which ensued. certainly,
would not have raised half crop. But
We find by experiment that good cul
tivatiou generally, if not always, pays
best. Then we say to farmers and gar~
deners to see that your ground is we'll
plowed and narrowed, and put in pro-
per condition for growth OF crops of all
kinds before your seed goes into the
ground. Certainly half the battle is
| fonght before you SOW and plant your
crops. For when your ground is we'll
pulverised before the seed goes into il.
it saves vast amount Of trouble and
| hard labor afterward
When ground is finely pulverized be-
| fore planting. it enables the young and
/ tiny roots TO lay hold of the soil with
much more ease, and with greater vigor,
soon after germination, than wben
vour ground is rough, ,lumpy and eloGdy.
Whei. it is we'll prepared before sowing
or planting, the power Of capillary at
traction is greatly increased in your
soil. and hence it remains III moist
condition a much longer time after
rain than when in a bad state Of culti-
vation.