The Portland daily press., 1893-08-01
cuLTIvATlNe CORN.
The Great Majority Favor Shallow Guilt
walton and Avoid Root Pruning.

The Great Majority Favor Shallow Guilt.
walton and Avoid Root Pruning.
At the Illinois station field expert
ments in 1899, as in several previous
years, showed that shallow cultivation is
better than deep and that more frequent
cultivation than is necessary to keep the
soil free from weeds and the surface
fairly loose is not profitable. On the sta
ton grounds weeds were the chief enemy
to the corn plant. Fair yields of corn
have been secured in each of several
years without any cultivation after plant
ing other than scraping the surface with
a sharp hoe. Root pruning has uniform
ly decreased the yield.
A recent bulletin from the Indiana
station on it's experiments for several
years with corn reports that shallow Gull
tivation has given better results than
either medium ordeep cultivation. Shall
low running corn cultivaSors have pro-
duced higher average yields than those
which deeply stir the soil The evidence
is practically unanimous and in agree
ment with that just stated. Public and
private experiments are almost uniform
ly in favor of shallow cultivation. To
avoid root pruning is a rule rarely to be
departed from. John M. Stahl, however,
writing in The Country Gentleman, tells
that he has found the departure advisa-
Bile when heavy, flooding rains followed
immediately after planting and was sue
ceeded by cold weather. Then the best
thing to do is TO use the diamond plows,
putting the ground in burrows and
ridges, which will much hasten it's dry
ing and warming. Sometimes, but not
often, tho corn will have made such
growth that some OF the roots will be
cut, but not many at the worst. The
condition just named is exceptional. II
the seedbed has been well prepared, as a
general rule ths best cultivation is the
shallowest that keeps down the weeds
and leaves q layer of loose fine earth one
inch thick on the surface.
The ground should not be stirred at
all after the corn has we'll tasseled, but
one should be careful to keep the weeds
cut with asharp hoe. To neglect the corn
field after cultivation stops is a serious
error. It is the weeds that mature after
cultivation stops that often foul the
land. When the lower blades have be-
gun to color, it is highly advantageous
to put sheep in the corn. They will not
damage the ears, will help greatly to
keep down the weeds. and they will get
much feed from the lower blades and the
fence rows, and their taking off the
lower blades will be beneficial and not
otherwise, as the yield Of grain will not
be lessened, and the corn may be cured
little earlier.
Mr. Stahl further says that the smooth
ing harrow is a splendid implement for
early cultivation. The disk harrow is
the best implement to use while the corn
is quite small on land so smooth that
its use is permitted. Bumpers are neces-
sary, and the disks must be turned out.
Of course the harrow must not be so
wide that its ends will reach over on the
other rows. The disk harrow can be
used only with steady walking team
that comes up well against the bits, and
one must be very careful how he drives,
for the only way to guide the disk har-
row along the row is with the team. 1t
does make splendid job, though, as it
cuts over tho niddles twice and thorough
ly fines the ground and effectually dis
poses of grass and weeds. But it should
not be used when the corn has made any
considerable growth, for it goes SO deep
that it will cut the roots Of the corn
something to be avoided.