West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-05-02
Corn and Corn.

other ground,yields such bountiful crops
of so great excellence as sod ground.
this shows that green manuring is best
for corn. The barn-yard and stable
manures should be saved for small grains
and vegetable crops. while grasses and
clover are sown to be plowed under
for corn. Red clover is the best ma
nure tor corn, and is the most profitable
crop as well. In the great corn produc-
ing States swine are largely raised and
clover for summer pasture produces
cheap pork while IL is the foe of swine
plague and turned under will increase
the yield of corn for winter feeding;
hence the wisdom of having clover sod
for corn.
Sod ground is better plowed in the
fall. in my opinion. The sod can not
yield the corn any available plant food
until decomposed, and il plowed i'm the
autumn il will partly decompose during
the winter and be ready for the corn
in the spring. For the same reason the
seed-bed can be more easily prepared il
the sod is turned under in the autumn.
and there will be no tough pieces of sod
To interfere in cultivation OF the corn.
The great objection TO the fall blowing
OF the other ground that it solidties
during the winter-does not apply to sod
ground. 1t will seen that am a strong
advocate of the fall blowing of sod.
Yet have raised splendid crops of corn
upon sod broken in the spring. The
breaking should be done early before
the roots have become strong and tough.
Quite frequently sod can be plowed be-
fore other ground is dry enough to pillow
for oats.
IL corn is to be put upon stalk ground
the stalks should be efectually disposed
of. 1t is no economy of time to simply
drag the stalks down leaving them up
on the ground to hinder and yex
throughout the cultivation of the corn.
Two modes of disposal are worthy of
commentator: cutting into bits with n
cutter, and raking them into windows
and burning them. The last method is
the most laboriouS and not infrequentl
rain comes upon the windows DELAY
ing the burning of the stalks and max
ing their complete destruction exceed
ingly difficult. A good cutter will dis
pose of the stalks as far rs hindrance in
cultivation is concerned as eflectually
as raking and burning. | prefer one
with spiral knives. The knives should
be sharp and the stalks quite dry.
| am not what could be called an adj
yocate OF deep blowing but pillow deep
for corn - deeper than for oats and
wheat. The only reason which | have
to give for this is that l believe | raised
the best crops on deep, plowed ground.
Corn is n gross feeder, and if only a
shallow seed-bed is prepared it will be-
come Impoverished in few years.
Deep blowing is antagonistic to drouth
ana our corn crops are most often cut
short by drouth in midsummer and
early autumn. And the ground should
be plowed thoroughly as well as deep.
The ground should he turned completely
upside down. Ii it is turned only on
edge the weed seeds will terminate at
once and outstrip the corn. Some farm
ers say they prefer to have sod thrown
upon edge but when blowing sod | want
"A pillow that will turn it upside down,
smoothly and without breaking | can
then loosen it enough to have good
seed-bed without tearing sods face up
ward To grow among the corn Apropos
oil thorough blowing for corn / wish to
say that 1t is common mistaken notion
that any boy who can hold the plow
along the furrow can do n good Job Of
blowing, or at least one good enough.
frequently see boys blowing who are
so small that they must reach mn TO the
pillow handles. The boy may be a good
boy but he is too small to plow. To
make good work with walking plow
is a mans work. A pillow should be
held to cut uniform depth and width.
have found it to be decidedly risky
TO use roller upon corn ground unless
the harrow Immediately follows il. |
believe in liberal use of the roller
upon ground in the fall, because then
the ground is dry and hard rains infre
quent. But in the spring the ground is
wet and sticky; the roller does not
crush the Jumps il only spreads them
out into fiat layers; and when n hard
ra n comes, and such rains are FREQUENT
in the spring, it puts the ground i'm
worse condition than it was before il
was plowed. | got caught i'm this way
several times, and sad experience taught
me to be exceedingly careful how
used the roller on corn ground. Cen
orally the Jumps are so soft that har-
row will cut and pulverize them, max
ing q better seod-bed than roller
would. However, a roller may be
safely used if it is followed by a harrow.
The drag does work equally as well as.
if not better, than the roller. and the
objections to the roller do not apply
TO it.
Although do not advise the use OF
the roller upon corn ground must not
be understood as implicitly saying that
corn ground should not be put in the
very best of condition for the seed.
Half of the work Of cultivation NAV be
done before the seed is planted and it
Is economy of time and labor TO do so.
The ground under and immediately
around the hills can not be stirred after
the seed is planted, and if it is not pull
yerized before planting it must remain
Iumpy throughout the season Ground
yields sustenancc 10 crops only i'm pro
portion as it is i'm fine condition: if
the ground is lumpy when the seed is
planted the plants must languish at the
commencement Of their growth. and
this stunting will be pcrceptible all the
season; ON the other hand, If the ground
has been put in fine filth. the plants
wul be vigorous from the very incep-
ton Of their growth. and this superior
~ VIII be noticeable during the season.
Another advantage Of the thorough
preparation Of the seed bed is that the
after work Of cultivation can be better
and more easily done. The price Of
good corn crop is intelligent, thorough
work from the very beginning John
". St1h', ne PrHtrtc FurHcr