The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-04-07
CULTIVATION OF CORN.
The Possibility of Doubling tile Crop Clear.
ly Demonstrated.

ly Demonstrated.
The corn crop of this country can be
doubled without increasing the amount
of fertilizers at present used, or the
acreage. This statement will doubt
less be questioned by q large number
of intelligent farmers. There is no
other crop in the United States about
the cultivation of which there is such II
difference of opinion, or the best way
of cultivating which is so little under
stood. Three-fourths of the farmers
who grow corn at all cultivate it either
too much or improperly. By cultiva-
ton mean the work given to the crop
, after it is up and growing, and not the
preparation of the soil before planting.
Corn requires but comparatively little
cultivation if the soil has been properly
prepared beforehand; and whatever
work it receives should be given when
the crop is quite young. Thoroughly
breaking and pulverizing the soil are
the most important considerations.
The cultivation should begin as soon
Us the corn is cleverly up, with
either a harrow or cultivator, and
the work should be continued until
the crop is laid by. If the corn is
planted in checks. one good plowing
each way will secure good crop other
conditions being favorable. 1t should
be laid by before it is knee-high, and
the last plowing should be very shall
low. A turning plow should never go
in u corn-feld after the crop is planted.
| The modern one-horse turning pillow has
destroyed millions of bushels of corn,
and the same may be said of the long
shank double.shovel. The turning
plow leaves the field in ridges, while
level culture is the proper thing. The
double-shovel will go too deep in spite
of the plowman, and mutilate the
young lateral corn roots. Every time
| these roots are bruised or broken the
corn is damaged. Root-pruning is an
advantage to IL barren fruit tree, but it
should not be practiced in the cnlti-
! vation of a corn crop.
To grow corn successfully, make the
soil fertile if not already so; break
deep; pulverize thoroughly; run a
drag over it and let it take a rain or
two. Re-break it not quite so deep;
harrow again; then run II drag over it
to make it smooth. Lay it oil 34 To 4
feet each way. Plant good, sound corn.
Begin to cultivate early and quit early.
Do not be too impatient to plant Bet.
ter to wait until the ground gets warm.
If you plant too early the corn will
/ make slow start; the stalks will get
hard and the crop will never do SO
we'll; besides, the grass OF weeds may
get ahead of the corn. Put the turn
ing-plow and double-shovel under ,l,o
tool-shed as soon rs the corn Is planted,
and use the cultivator and II ouc-hor.r
harrow with short teeth.
In breaking the land, good coat ct
young grass and weeds will be turned
under, and millions of seeds Just germ
mating will be destroyed. thus making
the labor of cultivation much less.
1t is fallacy to throw up big
ridge next to the corn to keep il
from being blown down. The root,
hold up the corn. Just rs well pile
soil around fruit tree to keep it from
being blown down. II Is u fallacy IN
plow corn deep when it is siIking, dur
drought, to bring up tho moisture.
The plowing is serious injury. If the
soil has been properly prepared the
moisture will be brought up by capil.
larry attraction, 1t is fallacy to m
dertake. by five or six plowings in q
field OF growing corn, to do the work
that ought to have been done before
planting. B. Coleman ia Rnrai
| NeW Yorker,