The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-25

Light, sandy soils should only be plow-
ed enough to turn under whatever dead
grass. weeds or other rubbish may be
upon the land, and plowed no more until
planting time, says Dick Naylor in
contemporary. Loose, sandy soils do not
retain manure well If stirred too deep
before planting time nor should the MAJ
nure be applied until just before plant
ing. When manure Is applied in the hill
instead Of broadcast as is often done in
the south, the manurlng and planting
can proceed at the same time. Stable
and other heavy manures should be APP
piled broadcast or distributed heavily In
the drills. Light fertilizers can be more
proftably applied in the hill or around
the roots of the corn after il is several
inches high. If the latter plan is fol-
lowed the corn should be Immediately
plowed with a cultvatOr or double shovel
that will throw about an inch of loose
soil around the roots, thus covering up
the manure and keeping it moist and in
good condition to be assimilated by the
plant.
consider the method known as fiat
planting" /. G., planting in drills with
out bedding the land, as generally the
best plan. 1t is adapted to any kind
of SOIL and leaves the corn in the best
condition for future cultivation. The
drills should be opened by bull-tongue
scooter, following the furrow maker,
and the rows should be from three to
four feet wide, owing to the natural
strength of soil and amount Of manure APP
piled. The corn should be dropped about
three feet in the drill, and plenty of seed
put in to insure a good stand as replant-
ing seldom if ever pays.
On a large majority of southern farms
corn should be thinned out to but one
stalk in "a hill, unless a very liberal
application of manure has been given,
i'm which case two or even three stalks
may be left In the cultivation of the
crop either a riding cultivator or dou-
Bile shovel is the best implement to use.
turning plow is seldom necessary unless
the season is very wet and the grass
gets too large for a cultivator to cover.
When the corn is quite small It may be
we'll to give the first blowing with "A
narrow one horse scooter or bull-tongue
Dlon but time and labor viii be saved
usually by waiting until the two-horse
cultivator can be used. In fields where,
on account of roots, stumps or other OBJ
structions. a riding cultivator cannot be
used a three tooth side harrow will do
good work in killing very young grass
and Weeds but It cannot be relied upon
after the grass gets any size. Only very
small grass can be killed with a side
harrow. but If used early enough, it IS
an excellent implement for cultivatins
young corn. Three plowings are generally
sufficient to make crop of corn, unless
the spring or early summer is very wet.
when four will be necessary.
There Is one method of cultivating corn
known as barring it off" which. think,
cannot be too strongly condemned. BY
this plan the soil is thrown from the
plants by a turning plow run on each size
of the plants, leaving them standing upon
a narrow bar Of earth about six inches
fe hon hoe and or
less of this bar scraped down by the pro-
cess. The advocates of barring corn claim
that by thus denuding the roots of the
plant the sun has better chance to warm
it up and make it grow more rapidly; but
have not found this to be the case. On
the contrary, my observation and expert
ence teach me that nearly all crops DO bet
ter when the soil is drawn to instead of
from the plant at every cultivation. 1t
is a well known fact that fruit growers
draw the. earth from the roots of their
trees in early spring in order to retard
their blooming The chilly night air
keeps the sap from starting upward too
early. So instead of benefting the corn
plant by denuding its roots the growth is
retarded by the cold night air of spring,
and the roots are dried by the sun during
the day Now, If the loose earth is thrown
to instead of from the plants this soil
would absorb heat by day and moisture
by night, and give them good start.
If one gets cold I'm bed during the night he
will certainly draw the blankets closer to
his body and not cast them off.
Most southern farmers give their corn
one hoeing; yet by beginning In time to
kill the grass with side harrows and
cultivators, this expensive implement
the hoe-need never be used in the crop.
When hoeing is done, however, It should
be followed Immediately by a good plow-
ing with a double shovel or culcivator
throwing plenty of mellow soil to the
plants. Bear in mind, that the tender.
thread-like rootlets should not be dis
turbed. Hence the blowing should always
be shallow. and far enough from the drin
to insure their safety. While the first
blowing may be safely done quite near
the little plants all subsequent cultivation
must be more and more removed toward
the middle Of the row and near the sur