Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-07-24
THE LISTER.
AN INVENTION THAT DRFIEs THE KANSAS
DRoUaHTs AND ADDS MILLIONS OF ACRES TO
THE SOUTHWESTERN CORN Belt
ICOr. Of Now York Rnnl

The western agriculturists, who wisely be-
lieve that the road 10 wealth leads through
corn fields 10 the pens and pastures where
hogs and cattle are fed, aud who till the rich
lands lying adjacent 10 the arid belt, have
for years demanded a tool that would enable
them 10 plant their seed corn 80 deeply In
the ground that, when their fields we're laid
by, the main roots OF the corn plants would
be thrust deep into the moist en- rth that al
ways lies below the thick layer OF dry. dusty
soil that covers the surface OF western corn
fields during Drought
The system OF corn cultivation In general
use in the semi-arid belt, where hot south.
west winds are apt TO sweep across the ooun-
try and blast all vegetation, has been fiat cul-
tivRtion. The corn was planted about two
inches deep In the slight depressions made
by corn groupd markers or check rowers.
With the aid Of two-horse cultivators the
ground was kept clear of weeds. The corn
was not billed up. II suffers severely during
dronghts. Deep planting was tried. Il gem
orally resulted In poor stand and the addi-
tional length Of time necessary for deeply
planted corn TO appear above the ground gave
the weeds that thickly infest all the rich corn
lands Of the west time TO carpet the soil be.
fore the corn lows were sufficiently plain to
enable the farmers 10 start their weed-ex.
terminating oultivators. This would neoes-
itats the use Of hoes TO cut weeds ont OF
corn hills. The majority OF western corn
raisers stubbornly refuse 10 use hoes. They
assert that hoes should not be used In corn
fields Of extensive area, whore every work
man and team are required 10 make from 40
to so acres Of corn.
A few years ago q listing pillow was in.
vented, which with the improvements added
by the farmers, or suggested by them, ia now
perfected and in use on the best managed of
the corn farms Of The semi-arid belt The
perfected pillow Is called by the farmers
lister. It has two mould boards, each IL
inches wide, springing from the opposite
sides of heavy shin. Attached 10 the shin,
and running behind Il in the double furrow
thrown by the. lister, is q small double mould
toard subsOil pillow. To this is attsoheda corn
platter, whose mechanism admits OF its be-
ing set 10 drop q kernel Of corn At any re-
quired interval. The corn il fed through q
spOut that discharges directly behind the
subsoil pillow, and to the full depth Il loosens
the soil. The expectation, which practical
working in the field proves to fulfil, was that
the loose earth thrown up by the subsoil
pillow would roll back and cover the seed
corn.
How does the lister work The trash and
litter that cumbers the ground 10 be planted
W ooNnf kuhuAuAI un Otu goan notus Ihk0u
into windroEs by heavy revolving corn
stalk rakas attached to farm wagons. When
the wind is in the right direction the wind.
rows are burnt. Four powerful horses are
hilched TO the lister. The reservoir of the
corn planter is filed with seed corn The
driver mounts. The heavy pillow is thrown
clear Of the ground by q lever that is within
easy reach OF the driver az he sits In his
seat, and the team Is driven TO the field.
There the lister Is set 10 pillow q fuTroW eight
inches deep. The subsOil pillow ia set 10 pillow
three inches deeper. The corn planter ia ad-
justed 10 drop . kernel OF corn at the desired
intervals, and its mechanism is connected TO
that OF the heavy wheels the lister Is mount
cd upon. The point Of the lister il inserted
into the ground precisely bet ween the rows
OF corn stubble OF the previous years growth.
The team Ia started. They strain heavily as
the lister takes ground, and then settle down
TO steady, sveat-starting pull. The black
earth turns IN deep burrows from both sides
OF the pillow, cutting q trench which, theo-
retically, should be two feet wide aud eight
inches deep, and further trenehed by the
subsOil pillow but really the trench is in the
shape of v, about l6 inches deep The
seed corn liea two inches deeper The fur
row which haR been thrown out covers the
unploved soil for foot on each side OF the
trench. The far side Of the field reached,
the lister Is thrown out Of the ground by an.
other lever, the team turned and the lister
set between the next adjoining rows OF corn
stubble. This operation, continually repeat.
ed until the field Is plowed, ridges the field
a. though for celery. BY this system of
blowing but one half of the soil 10 annually
plOWed. But that il plowed to \ depth OF
from 10 10 II inches. One man and four
horses are expected to pillow and plant eight
acres per day. The greater portion OF the
rain that may fall runs into the bottom OF the
trench where the seed corn lies, and where il
Is needed. As soon a. the corn plants are
above the ground, and the weeds have be-
gun 70 grow, The two horse corn cultivators
are started. The horses are made 70 walk
on the top OF the ridges and the earth is
thrown toto the trench When the lister
was first introduced, the farmers found that
during the first cultivation they destroyed
large number OF corn plants by covering
them With earth. This threatened to be !
fatal objection TO the use OF the lister, as no
Western corn raiser can afford to have his
voTkmen fool away their time during the
rush Of corn cultivation in paving the earth
10 uncover buried corn plants.
Last spring John Orumrine, q West Viz
ginian, stood with hands thrust in bis peck
cts Watching the exasperAtinR, oath-provoca.
tive work OF q cultivator IN listed corn field.
He stopped the team and said 10 the heated.
swearing driver;
go tell your boss TO give you two eight
inch boards, three feet long, with hammer
and some nails, and q bit OF rope. You
bring the things here and III fiK you so
that you will never again have 70 dis
mount from your oultiVator to uncover buried
corn" fgfEt
Doubtfully, hesitatingIy the driver elevated
the shovels Of his oultivator and drove home
He brought back the materials Crnmrine sent
him for. The genius from the highlands OF
West Virginia nailed the pieces of board to
gether &c trough without contents, With re-
straining end pieces. He attached the rope
TO one end Of Il, and inverted il in the trench
then he tied the rope 10 the axle OF the cult.
Vator, and adjusted its length 80 that the
trough should be opposite the cultivatOr
shoVels- The cultivation was put in motion.
The inverted trough passed over the small
corn plants. The earth that had previously
covered the plants fell on the sloping sides OF
the trough and rolled back TO settle gently
around the tender plants a. the trough fol-
lowed after the cultivator. OF course Crum.
rine did not patent bis improvement II he
had, he would have been q rich man in few
years. As It Ia he will toll away his life on
q mean piece of upland
When the corn Is ready for the second eul
hVatiOn the trough Ii laid aside The shoV.
els arc SGT 10 throw tho earth 10 the corn
plAnta, nov strong and two feet tail, and they
are also set to take the ground deeply. This
cultivation throws almost all the earth into
the trench that the lister threw out The
surface OF the held is level. The main roots
OF the corn plants are at least ten inches
below the surface of the ground, and how
much further they have sunk into the rich,
damp, underlying ground no one knOWs
But now no ordinary drought affects the
the plants. The hot southwest winds can blow
mercury can rise until the integrity OF the
thermometer is threatened, the sun can course
across q cloudlsss sky for weeks, the corn
leaves do not roll. The plants thrive, and il
q soaking rain falls between the middle of
June and the middle of July the listed corn
will make full crop.
think the lister 10 the most important az
ricultural tool that has been intrOd uoed into
the semi-arid belt 1t has placed all the
lands that lie between the bottoms and the
uplAnds in the class OF corn lands and its
use will enable the farmers who own rich up.
landa 10 raise fair crops of corn, and In addi-
ton Il will surely push the line of productive
corn ianda 100 miles fnrther west and bring
millions OF acres Of land that has hitherto
been unit for remunaFatiVs corn culture IN
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