The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-05-01
LEVEL CULTIVATION.



Belief that IL Preserves Moisture in the
Ground Better than the Ridge Method.
It is very hard to convince man
against his will; and SO it is very hard
to convince farmer who has always
followed hill cultivation in raising a
crop of corn that it is better to keep the
surface comparatively level. 1 can re-
member when the farmer considered it
necessary in order to raise good crop
Of corn, and be considered good farm
er, to prepare the land and plant and
cultivate after this fashion or rule: The
ground was well plowed. 1t was con-
sidered necessary to have the ground
as freshly plowed as possible; so much
SO that have seen ground plowed the
second time when a hard, beating rain
had come after blowing and before
planting. After blowing burrows were
run about four feet apart each way, and
in the rows the corn was dropped by
hand and covered by using the hoe to
pull the soil over the seed. After plant
ing and covering good narrowing was
given. As soon as the corn had made
a sufficient growth SO that the rows
could be seen q small diamond pillow
was used to cultivate with, running the
bar of the pillow as close to the corn as
possible. The second blowing was given
by blowing the other way. The third
and fourth blowing threw the soil back
to the corn, making ridges. The farm
er who wanted his corn to be rs clean
as possible then run out the middle,
still throwing the dirt to the corn. This.
of course, left the land in good-sized
ridges.
How many farmers follow this plan
strictly now? Is it not better TO take
more pains to thoroughly prepare the
land before seeding? Then with the
planter the work of dropping and COW
ering can be done much better than by
hand. 1 have raised corn by the old
plan, and have raised good crops, too.
but. after close observation and in some
cases experimenting. l have become sat-
isfed that better way can be followed
that will produce fully as good results.
with less labor, and leave the soil in a
better condition for future cultivation.
My plan is to thoroughly prepare the
land by blowing deep. and then harrow
until in good condition. Clan up the
land thoroughly, and then put in good
filth before planting the seed. If the
soil is free from weed seeds, / prefer
drill planting and cultivating only one
way, as more corn can be raised to the
ear by this plan than any other l have
yet tried. If on common land pre-
fer to pillow in hills four feet apart each
way.
As soon as possible after planting
harrow well. destroying all the weeds
possible. In a week, if possible, har-
row again, and under favorable circum-
stances | sometimes harrow even the
third time. Then use the cultivators,
working as close to the corn as possible.
/ do not consider it necessary to work
the soil deep, but work the surface
thoroughly. Four civilizations and two
borrowings is generally all that will be
necessary in an average season; yet, in
order to secure clean cultivation, which
l regard as essential to good crop of
corn. would cultivate six or seven
times. Then in a dry season am sat-
istied by my own exper ence that fire.
quent stirring of the soil will pay we'll
not deep, but two or three inches of the
soil stirred frequently will induce moist
ure and aid in making profitable
crop.
There is less danger of corn drying
out by reason of DRY weather when the |
soil is kept level. There is no distub-
ance of the feeding roots. The corn
will stand up fully as well, if not better,
than when ridged up. If necessary
additional cultivation can be given more
readily when the soil is kept level than
when ridged up, and the soil is left IN a
better condition for crops that are to
follow than when ridged up. / ac-
that it took several trials to
me, but after careful trial 1
I'm more than satisfied that to the aver
'ge farmer level cultivation is the best
md safest.-M j. Shepherd, in Nation
u ,StockTndn.