The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-04-23
THE CULTIVATION OF CORN.

farmers to plow up the entire corn-be,
about the middle of May when the corn
. about two feet high. If tho season follow
ing be dry or if there are only occasioua
showers, the roots of the corn will grow
mainly in the lower pulverized soil, wher,
there Is constant mosture, holding plan
food in solution. The after cultivation j.
usually done with sweep, run shallow tc
clean the bed of grass and to pulverize tho
surface soil. We will suppose wet spell
OF ten days or more to follow this Ma,
plowing-how will the corn be affected by
1t! 1t will cause the corn to grow rapidly
The corn roots will in q short time take
possession of the entire corn bod upon
examination they will be found near the
surface, because they cannot grow in the
too wet soil below. The stalks will grow
unusually large and tall, and the ground
will te covered with grass and weeds. In
this condition of the crop, the farmer
hnds himself in dilemma. If he should
conclude to let the corn and grass grow to-
gether, be cannot expect much of a yield,
and if he should determine, as he usually
does, to cleau the corn-bed of grass and
weeds, what effect will this working have
upon the corn? !? 1t will have the effect of
bringing tho growth of tho corn at once to
stand-still Ia short time the lower
blades will begin to turn yellow, what is
called firing, which will soon reach up to
the insignificant shoot, the aborted car.
What has caused this sudden change in
the appearance Of the corn The ans wer
l would give is, the plow has done it. 1t
matters not what kind of plow may be
used, nor how shallow it may be run over
the corn-bed, it will cut and destroy nearly
all of those roots that grew near the sur
face during the wet spell of weather. The
corn has been severely root-pruued, and
before it can recover from this root-pruu-
ing the time for making the ear has passed,
aud the result is a complete failure of the
crop.
In the last twenty five years have seen
this wet spell happen sayasAl-tirecs afour
the first of June, aud in every instance
the corn crop was more or less injured
not SO much by the wet spell as, in my
opinion, by the faulty cultivation before
and after the rains. Such a wet spell
happened in this section last summer, COM
mencing about the % til of May, aud lasted
two weeks the corn was plowed as usual
and revived. Afterward 1 heard several
farmers attribute the failure of the crop to
the wet spell. But is it a fact that a wet
spell happening about the caring time Of
corn is calculated TO injure the crop? In
less it is in land too retentivc Of water, or
not properly drained, cannot think SO.
believe it is mainly duo to faulty of cul-
tivation. If such cultivation be attended
with so much hazard to the crop as have
shown, what better system can be instituted
| to insure success, whether the season he
wet or dry? My object in this communi-
cation is to call the attention of farmers
to plan which both observation and expe-
rience have proved to be moro certain than
the one usually practiced.
In Southern climate like ours it is i'm
portant to have the rows wide apart, cay S
or feet, and not to have the corn too
thick in the drill l will conine what
have to suggest mainly to the use of the
plow in cultivation, leaving details to the
good judgment Of the farmer. AS soon
then as the corn is large enough, go around
it one time with four-inch scooter, run
ming it as deep and as near the corn as
possible. Fifteen or twenty days after this
piowing, 90 around the second time, run.
ming one furrow with four or five inch
turning shovel just outside the scoote,
furrow, and throwing the dirt or soil wei
around the corn stalks in the drill. After
this second furrow IS ran, the hoes shou lC
follow, cleaning the narrow corn-bcd aDt
bringing the corn to n stand which shoult
be thin enough TO stand and do we'll in
moderately dry season. Again, in ifteer
or tweuty days third furrow should b.
added to the corn-bed. So far one furroy
alta time and at suitable intervals has bael
given to the corn-bsd /; our object in thi
is to give fresh supply of pulverize,
soil to tho roots, but NO more than is deem
ed necessary to grow moderately size
stalk, reserving the middle to be give
when the time comes to grow on ear /
in tho meantime the middle should becom
foul, it should be cleaned with sweep Q
other suitable plow.
| Al this stnre of our c,,lt;va,;on srnnos