St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-08-29

FARMER AND PLANTER,

FARMER AND PLANTER.
CULTIVATION OF CORN.
q Farmers Talk t. nis Brother Fssosss
On Raising the Cereal
It is evident to the casual Observer
that the manner of corn cultivation Il
fast getting away from the old style
Of work. Farmers are beginning to
realize that they must get their fields
into the best shape for rapid work.
that, il they In the older states would
compete with the western states. their
work must go farther than it did in
the olden times. In other words, more
must be donc in . day, and done in .
better manner.
They are learning that machinery
and that brain work must count for
more than muscular force. After
these things are accepted ~ facts.
many other points come up for the
most serious consideration. How much
culture is necessary for the best re-
suits, and then the kind Of culturs7
Shallow and deep cultivation are now
engrossing topics with thinking farm
erS.
There is still another matter which
requires diligent thought. How to
cultivate the soil to best retain the
moisture. Whether it is possible to
secure an average crop OF corn with
the rainfall much below tho average.
The first step in the cultivation Of corn
is to put the land in the best possible
condition before planting. The rush
of the mass Of farmers to get their
corn planted the last of April
and the first of May this year caused
many to plant land but poorly pre-
pared. all hoping and promising them
selves to put in proper condition after
the corn came. Many are doubtless
the gamers by having to plant over,
for, as q rule, they have worked their
land again, before planting over. A
great many have run their disc har-
row or cultivator in front Of planter
to kill all weeds in the row. The
planter following the cultivator placed
the corn deep down in the .furrow
where moisture sufficient was assured
to sprout the corn, = precaution that
promises to be well taken. However,
there is serious objection to this, in
case there is . rain and . crust forms.
it is difficult to break it. that the corn
may come through.
W., cc AssEoA that So t1.~ n~~1ts~~
tion of corn. farmers follow. too much,
customs common to all. II deep cul-
ture is the custom of the community,
every farmer practices it without
thought as to whether it is best for all
or not. There should be no ironclad
rule for any farmer, or community OF
farmers. But each man should know
for himself what kind Of cultivation il
best for his soil; how much is neces-
sary; or whether the more the better
when done at the proper time and un'
der proper conditians.
Some careful experiments 60 to
show that excessive cultivation is I'M
necessary for the production Of q
maximum corn crop. Still, leading
farmers claim that the soil should be
TIRED often till the corn has reached
iasscling 1t must be admitted that
icre is a weakness in the claims Of
he latter. because they have not
reached their conclusions by COM
parison of plats under less and more
continuous cultivation, and the use Of
the scale. They start out on theory
chat they put in practice for the whole
crop, and II they succeed, they ~
sumo that theirs is the only
proper and successful cultiva'
tion, when . little experiment by
way of comparison would probably
have demonstrated that less cultiva.
ton would have given equally rs ao9d
results as far rs the corn crop was con.
cerned. But 1t is hardly expected by
the leading corn growers Of the pres
ent day that they can get maximum
or old-time corn crop by three cultiva-
tion& The cream of the soil has gone
to previous corn crops, and the land il
infested with weeds that take moisture
according to their properties equal te
the corn. 1t is our custom to begin
cultivation rs soon after the corn il
planted as possible. often narrowing
before the corn is up. and we are not
satisfied with less than four time
working after the corn II above tbs
surface.
In the dryest weather soil stirring
will destroy some weed seeds that ger
inmate. It is dry weather that the
corn most needs all tho moisture in
the soil, for every weed destroyed, we
save the moisture that It would use fol
the corn plant. The cultivation should
1T least be 80 frequent as to prevent
weed growth, often when the greater
part of the fields are clean oi
weeds, the cultivation is moi
given because tho small wcedy
plants ara not considered Of much
consequence. These weedy plats N,
usually found in the best soil In tn
field, and II kept clean, would giv,
much the best grain in the field. In
creasing the average yield Of the fleld
but by letting the weeds run riot, tn,
corn often does not yield above many
thinner parts that arc free from weeds
And. besides the rank. thoroughbret
weeds that grow in the best land, see(
the remainder Of the field with vigor
GUS seeds that arc sure to germinst,
when proper conditions surround them
As to shallow and deep cultivation
there is much disputing among farmers
Continued deep cultivation changes th'
natural root growth tendencies Of th'
plant Carefully-conducted expert
ments show that when the roots N,
not disturbed the greater part Of theE
grow near the surface. But when cu'
or broken by cultivation they-for sell
protection-strike deep into the soil
If shallow work gives best returns pm
it in practiee.-John n. Jamison, il
Carmers' Home.
The Boose vletUala.
Some people decline to eat chickens
On account Of the disregard they hav'
| for the selection Of their food. Manu-
facturers of chicken food lay grea
stress upon the quality Of it, enec
upon the egg production The chick