The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1896-08-08
FARMER AND PLANTER.
CULTIVATION OF CORN.
4 Farmers Talk to His Brother Farmer
ON Raising tho Cereal.

| 4 Farmers Talk to His Brother Farmers
ON Raising the Cereal
1t is evident to the casual observer
that the manner of corn cultivation is
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, if 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 De done in day, and done in
better manner.
They are learning that machinery
and horse power must count for more,
and that brain work must count for
more than muscular force. After
these things are accepted as 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 culture?
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 the 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
| II -
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 a 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 a serious objection to this, in
| case there is rain and a crust forms,
it is difficult to break it, that the corn
may come through.
We are satisfied that in the cultiva-
ton of corn, farmers follow, too much,
customs common to all. If 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 Is
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 go to
show that excessive cultivation is un-
necessary for the production of .
maximum corn crop. Still, leading
farmers claim that the soil should be
stirred often till the corn has reached
| tasseling 1t must be admitted that
| there is weakness in the claims of
the 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
that they put in practice for the whole
crop, and if they succeed, they as
sumo that theirs is the only
proper and successful cultiva-
tion, when a little experiment by
way of comparison would proba bly,
have demonstrated that less cultiva-
ton would have given equally as good
results as far as the corn crop was con-
ccrned. But it is hardly expected by
/ the leading corn growers of the pres
ent day that they can get a maximum
or old-time corn crop by three cultiva-
I tons The cream of the soil has gone
to previous corn crops, and the land is
infested with weeds that take moisture
according to their properties equal to
the corn. 1t is our custom to begin
cultivation as soon after the corn is
planted as possible, often narrowing
before the corn is up. and we are not
satisfied with less than four time
working after the corn is above the
! surface.
In the dryest weather soil stirring
will destroy some weed seeds that GER
inmate. 1t is dry weather that the
corn most needs all the moisture in
the soil, for every weed destroyed, we
save the moisture that it would use for
| the corn plant. The cultivation should
at least be SO frequent as to prevent
weed growth, often when the greater
part of the fields are clean of
weeds, the cultivation is not
given because the small weedy
| plants are not considered of much
consequence. These weedy plats are
usually found in the best soil in the
field, and if kept clean, would give
much the best grain in the field. in
creasing the average yield of the field,
but by letting the weeds run riot, the
corn often does not yield above many
thinner parts that are free from weeds.
And, besides the rank, thoroughbred
weeds TIN at grow in the best land seed