The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1895-05-18
FARMER AND PLANTER.
cuLrivATloN OF CORN.

'ocky Farmer Gives His brethren
ms Ideas ON the Subject.
me nrst thing that should be consid-
ered In raising a crop of corn is, whetb-
or OF not the soil to be used contains
the necessary fertility to produce a
paylnR crop. II it does not, il Is very
certain that the cultivation of it with
Out nrst applying some kind of fertil-
i-er Will result in a loss. We can not
get something out of nothing. and
WINE every farmer will readily admit
the truth OF this yet many plant corn
on land, that in good season, will not
produce enough to pay twenty-five
cents day for the time it takes to cul.
tivate 1T, and as hard times are now no
farmer would think of working for a
quarter per day and board himself
even though he knew the money would
De paid promptly at shutdown.
With the question of sufficient fer
nlity decided favorabiy, the next
2 thing is to break the land as early in !
Inc fali as possible, the depth of |
winch should be governed by the
thickness of the soil; thin soil shallow |
and thick soil deep. My reason for
preferring fall blowing is that / think
the soil retains moisture longer. when
subjected to dry weather. Drouobts
nave been SO severe and of such fire.
quent occurrence in the past that
every available means should be
ADOPTED that will in any degree avert
the damage incurred by them. The
next thing to be done is to pre-
pare the land for planting
which l think is best done bv
laying on rows three feet ten inches
apart with two horses to one-borse
pillow running as deep as it will plow
well, and then crossing them with
rows OF the same width, but shallow
ms leaves considerable depth of loose
III. IN the cross where three or four
grains OF well matured, sound corn
'nouid be dropped and covered BY run
ing harrow over the ground. The
eeo being in the ground, the next $
ming Is to cultivate the soil in such =
manner that when the crop is laid by =
orn roots will have full possession of z
from bottom to top. The mode of :
uitivation that will best result =
this condition, varies some =
THAT with the season. Before the g
orn comes up a good, deep furrow
nouid De run midway between each
DIV and followed By an A harrow with =
ne front tooth running directly in the ~
DIV. These burrows, besides forming "
ood drainage allow the air to circu-
Ite more freely through the soil. us
hich prevents it from getting too gu
ard for the tender corn sprouts to get 'e
trough. After corn is well up il ~
'ouid have turning pillow run good
.pth on each side, and as near the
w as possible. throwing the dirt to
e middle, which leaves ridges fa,
here the burrows were left bv On,
e nrst blowing. This leaves ba
Q young corn growing in a fee
lrrow strip COT land that ba
o not be easily flooded by heavy s65
ms, but can be easily penetrated by an
faint rays of an early spring sun. ON
lis causes the roots of the corn to his
ow downward while it is young. and tir,
events them from being torn of by No
pillow in after cultivation. am
After this, If weather continues GOO, 9th
" 1850 SaAOuAu OC narrowed and l SIG
WED In the same manner across the dey
her way. BY the time another pIow- our
Is needed corn should have attained raj.
size, and begins now to los.
d more soil near the row, CONSEQUENT viii
the middle that has been prepared me,
kept in reservation should he hin
own toward the row. This can he he
emphasized best by running a turn He
pillow about six inches from the pea,
on each side and splitting the mid bles
with double-shovel. Roots will tina
o put ont from the corn stalks as viii
lear the surface as the moisture of wen
season will admit. All that is viii
essary after this is shallow or sur had
cultivation. If the top of the thin
and is kept free of grass and weeds witt
roots OF the corn will do the rest | are
on good limestone soil will pro- on d
eight to ten barrels of corn per try
in the most unfavorable season inc.
'ver have in Kentuclky.-Cor. Farm he 81
iioine journal. and
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6E SIMPl CutNNEc-,@t 60.