The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1894-05-17

der pulling season, with its attendant
duties, is upon us.
CULTIvATING CORN.
One great drawback occasioned by
the recent freeze is that where it was
necessary to plow up and replant corn,
the cultivation of the two crops. corn
and cotton. is thrown inconveniently
near each other, and the farmer is COM
PEELED to exercise the incest Judgment.
o. else find himself overcrowded with
work and in danger OF having his crops
lrredeemably injured. Here it is that
the harrow can be used with telling
effect, and at great saving of time and
labor. Run diagonally across the rows
just as the plants are coming up; it
breaks any crust that may have formed
and kills the young grass.
A second later narrowing in an oppo-
site direction leaves the lano in splendid
condition and saves at least half in the
expensive hoe work.
Wide cutting cultivators furnish an
other means of saving time and labor,
and In the present urgent need for rapid
and thorough work should be employed
wherever possible. Under ordinary cir
cumstances the second blowing of corn
occurs in this month, and the fact that
the plants are unusually small should
not deter us from going forward with
the work rapidly and systematically,
with view to kill the grass, but more
important still to keep the surface pull
Verlzed and the moisture conserved, and
also to permit the air and sunshine to do
their work.
This surface cultivation should by all
means be at depth of less than four
inches. 1t has been conclusively shown
that corn roots penetrate the soil to a
distance of several feet in all directions,
and at depth of only four inches be-
meath the surface. Any pillow which
goes deeper than that must cut these
little feeders, and each injury to them
reduces in greater or less proportion the
eventual yield of corn. At some of the
experiment stations care has been taken
to make the exact estimate of this
proportionate injury, which is found to
decrease rapidly as the blowing becomes
shallower.
II we will keep in mind that the main
object in blowing at this season. is not
SO much to kill the grass, as important
as that is nor to break the ground
deeply, as to keep in the moisture, which
is constantly ascending toward the sur
face, we will make few mistakes in cul-
tivation. In order to hold back this re-
serve moisture which the winter rains
have deposited it is important to keep the
plows moving. Whether there is grass
to be killed or not every time crust
forms it should be broken as soon and
as shallow AS possible. Once in every
Two weeks Is none too often. The mel
low soil acts as mulch to retain the
moisture, which is needed for the hun.
cry little roots, and which would other
wise be evaporated from the surface
much more rapidly than it is drawn up
from the earth by the force of capillary
attraction. There may be long peri
DDS between rains; this, of course, is be-
yond our control, but we can success
fully prevent the waste of the water.
which the earth already holds, and ali
our plans should look to this important
object.
FLOWING COTTON.
If there is good stand of cotton. and
the land is in proper condition, the har-
row run obliquely across the rows, lust
as the plants are coming up leaves them
IN splendid growing condition, and if
practicable, a second narrowing in an
opposite direction, few days later,
renders the subsequent working cheaper
and more satisfactory. This plan obvi-
ates the necessity of the BLOCKING ont
process-always Objectionable, because
the cotton in the punches is left too
thick, and is apt to grow off weak and
spindling, and if there is any delay in
the second hoeing. and the plants are
left standing in this condition for any
length OF time, the crop does not soon
recover from the injurious effects. The
use of the harrow presupposes the land
IN good condition, deeply prepared and
smooth. On rough land, or where
from lack of humus and from beating
rains, it has become hard and packed
1t will be necessary to do the first plow-
ing with a scooter or narrow shovel.
The sweep or scrape, which does beauti-
full work on ordinary land, will not an
swer here. A feeder should be used
with the scooter so that it may run close
to and yet not cover up the cotton, and
by having a wing on the side away
from the cotton the middles can he
covered at the same time that the cotton
is closely sided
POTATOES.
This is the month to plant the main
crop of potatoes. tits not good policy to
plant Immediately after a heavy rain.
but if this is done. the pillow or hoe
should follow in few days. The slips
grow OFT better when set ont in fresh
beds or lists thrown up as soon after a
good rain as the land is dry enough to
pillow. The proper fertilizers and meth
cd of cultivation were treated in last
months talk" Don't lay off too close
or crowd in the rows.
The month of May not only includes
the planting of some of the minor crops.
but is perhaps the mostimportant period
in the cultivation of the two standard
crops of corn and cotton. If the last
day of the month finds the farmer with
good stands and clean fields, he can look
forward with confidence, because he has
fully performed his part of the work.
R. T. NEsBITT.