Nevada County picayune., 1888-05-23
AGRICULTURAL.
Cultivation of Corn.

AS the corn crop Has ptch tI'"t'N and up, it is useless now to discuss in the Cultivator the mode of plant
 ing; but taking it for granted, that the ground has been well prepared before planting, and the planting has been judiciously done, l shall now refer to it's cultivation. In my opinion, and the experience l have had. the cultivation of corn should be governed more by the kinds Of lands you have to cultivate than be governed by any general rules Soft, sandy lands should be plowed light, or can be cultivated with the harrow, but when you have heavy clay lands. or stiff swamp lands, that run together and become packed from rains, the cultivation must be different from that of light, porus soils. On the light lands stirring the soil light is all that is necessary, but on heavy, stiff lands, when the soil has been packed. or run togeth- CT, the first blowing should be at least from three to four inches deep, for then there are no corn roots to dls- turb, and such blowing loosens mp the soil and gives the roots chance to make their way easily in search of plant food. The second blowing should be lighter, for the corn roots are branching out and should be dis turbed as little as possible, and not to disturb them. the sweep Is the sa- fest blow, the scraper of course blows shallower, but having to attach It to a scooter to steady its running, the scooter cuts the corn roots; hence the sweep is the safest blow, and in a dry time instead of blowing the corn regularly through, the safest plan is to blow every other row, and by that method you disturb only one set of roots at time. leaving the roots in the intermediate rows to sup port the stalk, and when through, turn back and blow out the rows that have been skipped. l have done in very dry times and thought it was 8 benefit. I have done it only in the last, or laying-by plowings. Let the blowing of corn be ever so well done, giving it hoeing after the last blow ing l have found to be of great ad' vantage. I am glad to see the culti' yation of corn and the management of all kinds of food crops being dis
 cussed in the agricultural papers,
 Enough has been said and writer about cotton. Grain, grass anC stock are of more importance thar cotton to tue liIIltlS, anu oul ioi
 mers want enlightening on thai branch of agriculture teaching far
 mers how to make five bales of cot
 ton to the acre is doing them a great
 CT injury, unless they first made theil food supplies; what is wanted is tc increase the acreage of grass, grail and other food crops and curtail the acreage in cotton. l had a visi' from an old, experienced Vernon
 farmer who had become rich iron farming, and in looking at our farm' and mode of cultivatson he remark
 ed: "Unless grass and stock were raised on your farms, in few year' you would have no soil left to culti
 vate, for no lands could last so con
 stantly cultivated by the blow" We see it taking place, and have resort
 ed to tcrracing 10 save them ant maintain their fertility like grass
 clover and the small grain crops Let the cultivation of grain anC grass and the raising of stock be en
 larged and the planting of cottor curtailed. John II. Dent, Cave Spring. Ga, in Southern Cultivator