The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-03-13
terrible power, yet overmatched by the
nervy arm, and tireless energy of noble
men and women who know no such
word as fail.-San Mateo Item.
For the Florida Agriculturist.
Planting and Cultivation of Corn.

tiOn about cultiVating corn. For the
benefit of such as do not know me [ will
state I have lived and farmed in Florida
81 years, and have not failed in getting
something of a crop Of corn every year
but the first year after [ landed in
Florida, and I have made as high as Is
to 20 bushels of corn per acre on moder-
ately good pine land. / have made
many experiments, and after several
years ofexperience and trial have in
varably found it best to- mark my ground
one way, then turn and commence to
plant the other. I find it best not to
break pine land at all, [ run a rake 9
feet long over the ground. | make this
rake by taking 4x4 scantling and have
3 inch holes every eight inches, into
which put iron teeth Is to Is inches
long, put in piece of thills or shaft so
as to give the rake the right pitch, then
put in handles to hold by. No matter
how clumsy you will find it the most
useful tool to clean the ground of all
trash.
run over the ground with this, har-
row off, and if the land is very grassy
run over it lightly with Junior cult
vator and then am ready to lay off fur
rows four feet each way, and if land is
very poor five feet is better. When
ready to plant | take turn pillow and if
possible put it down seven to eight IN
ches deep and right behind that follow
with bull tongue 10 to Is inches long,
in the bottom of the burrows. 1t loosens
the soil Is to IS inches deep but the soil
closes up behind the bull tongue and
YOUR corn will be in the ground about
seven to eight inches deep. Follow after
with cultivator with all teeth out but
the two hind ones and cover as light as
possible; or board attached to a shovel
pillow stock six to eight inches long set up
edgeways will make good coverer the
same as for cotton, but let the board be
short enough to go down into the pillow
furrow, in order not to fill it up full,
as it is difficult to put fertilizer in such
a furrow. If you wish to fertiliZe, pro-
cure fertilizer drill or distributor. A
cheap machine is made in Georgia that
is sold at four dollars that works to per-
lection and can be regulated to distribute
from one barrel per acre to golf need be.
1t has hopper to hold fertilizer and
stock similar to a shovel pillow and is easy
managed. Hitch horse to it and run
on each side of the corn as soon as it is
up, or before if desired, as the furrow is
a guide to go by. AS soon as corn is up
four to six inches take small turn pillow
and break out the middles of the corn
rows as deep as you can run the pillow,
and when done cross the ground with
cultivator with three teeth in back end
and don't fail to stir the ground one
way every two weeks with cultiyator
until corn is ready to begin tassellng out,
then use small shovel plows and keep
ground clean and mellow until ready to
lay by.
I generally work my corn until the
grains begin to harden and if desired
then plant COW peas. The object in not
breaking pine land is it dries out too
quickly and it is difficult to get a start.
By following with bull tongue in the
i