Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1885-07-28
PREVENTING DAMAGE FROM A
nROUrH BY CULTIVATION.


The question naturally suggests Itself 70
thc mini 90 the thinking fAfmcF ater hAr-
.ug two such rcmNkaole dry seasons In
succession Can anything be done 10 any
way % mitigate this great evil 80 Tar A. u
concerns our hoci cropsi l. there any
particular node % cultivation better AdAp-
tct than any other % secure - desirable
RESULT While 10 Is true that hoci crops
on deep. moist ani r,teuilve soils adjacent
% the Connecticut River have suffered bat
little. N any. the past season Tor want OF
rain. yet corn on The light, sandy OF gray
eliy soils litilc further bach from the rlv-
20. has been ln this locality, 70 say the
east. in many cAscs pArtiAl, Ani ia some
a complete failure.
NJ experience. the past season, has
served % strengthen me in The belief thai
something may be- done Ia ihls direction
by deep. thorough ani level culture.
planted a fcii % seven acres of more OF
corn thls season, on land that wAs high
ani Cry. Ani 20. very well adapted 10
Withstand a severe dfouth. laid The rows
both WAYS. aud cultivated both ways, let
ung the cultivAior To- clear up 90 The
hu5.~ went over The heii The iAst time,
thc dfst week To- Jaly, leaving The bills
level with the grouui. The Advantage OF
running TIE rows both ways l. Al least
tso.0li, 10 toss away With Toe necessity
~ much. n any hAni hoeing, Ani afords
chance % st.r All The sou % AnY deslred
depth
Woali emphAs.le The need OF stirring
thc soil deeply ia planting on dry land,
these Increasingly dry seasons. A liitle
scratching % TIE sgffsce i not TIE thing
While have 90 DOUBT MY corn would have
been heavier with plenty % rain, YET l
thInk ID was A. good A. ! hai reason -
expect when plated. The stalks were
green AZ the time OF harvesting, and the
corn wAs sound. I planted corn year
40 by The side of the nelis In question.
without any special pAiustAking a. above
indicated. 10 guard against drOuth, and 10
was A complete failure. II anyone Is skcp-
teal A. y keeplng the soil mellow on dry
land In dry seasons. he need only 20 dig .
post hCle In a very dry time on grass land,
auf then dig another on mellow plowed
adjoining, and see which Is the dryesi and
which i dried down The deepest
A uelghb0r OF mine bad Two pieces OF
corn on land similar % my own that evil
fently sufsrcd Tor rain much more than
nine. A piece that WAS ridged suffered
the most Just here | remember that an
able writer In Ths Hymssiedd some months
ago. undertook 70 prove that hoed crops
would stAnd the drOnth better planted on
ridges. but did 20, make u quite clear 70
ny mlnd. Increasing The amount OF sur
face soil. a. must necessarily be the case
In ridging. % be exposed 10 the telling In
iaence OF The sun aud wind, 10 say moth.
lng OF the liability In sudden showers and
favorable condition for the wster 10 run on
the field In the trenches, does not seem -
NE good policy, nor can ! see how ridging
can possibly make the land any less sas'
ccptlble 10 drouth.
when was = boy they told me 10 bring
ID a good lot OF dirt around the corn bills
The lAst hOelng 70 keep the corn RON TALL
lug down. | never saw a field OF corn
stand ID better than the one have been
writing about. There was scarcely Nil
down Al the time OF harvesting on the
whole deld.-TAs Homestead.