The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-31
CuItivating Hoed Crops.

1t is very unlikely that prices OF the
crops which require most labor will ever
be so high as they have been, and this,
too despite the fact that labor has stead
lily grown dearer, and is likely to continue
so to do. says the American Cultivator.
In the days when corn and potatoes were
plowed through with a pillow cutting
furrow turned alternately to and from the
crop and when all other labor was done
with the hand hoe. the price of corn was
very rarely lower than 50 cents per bushel,
and if potatoes did not bring that the
grower lost money. Now, thanks to inn
proved implements for cultivation, as well
also as to better understanding how to
use them. these crops cost much less than
they used to do, though farm wages are
higher rather than lower than then. The
reason of course. is because farmers have
learned how to make this more expensive
labor so much more efficient that 1t is
really cheapest in the end. Yet 1t Is
matter of common observation that farm
work, though better paid, does not in
VolVe so many hours of work, nor 50 Sc
we're manual toll as in the earlier days.
1t is in knowing how to cultivate that this
greater effectiveness is to be found.
Frequent and shallow cultivation of the
whole surface, especially while the crop
is small, is its main secret. This greatly
saves labor. especially the narrowing of
the surface which both corn and potatoes
now get before they are up. This light,
shallow cultivation means that the sur
face all the season is to be kept level.
This saves evaporation, as the level sur
face exposes a much less amount of soil
to air and sun than do the ridges into
which the old-time methods of cultivation
threw the soil around the plants. Level
kal
a wide-toothed cultivator goes through
corn or potatoes. IL leaves as many small
ridges as il has sets of teeth, and these
expose a greater surface to the air, and
so make the soil dryer.
But the principal benefit OF shallow TIL
age during summer is in enabling the
farmer to utilize summer showers and
even dews that would otherwise be quick
ly evaporated. Cultivating the soil deeply
is too heavy work for a single horse to
be kept up all day without rest But the
shallow cultivation allows one horse to
keep a good smart walk all the day and
cover half as much again ground as the
same horse would cultivate four or five
inches deep. Two inches Is enough later
in the season. where he surface Is level,
stirring the whole soil between the rows,
but leaving the roots free TO run below
the cultivator in soil that has been thor
oughly pulverized earlier. II the work is
begun early much OF the dew that falls
on plant and soil during the night may
be put under enough SOL to save II from
evaporating There Is never "A summer so
dry, at least outside the arid portions OF
the far west. when enough light rains do
not fan to make a good corn crop II they
are properly used. The trouble In dry sea
sons Is that the little showers that N
saved might do incalculable good. are OF
scarcely any benefit 10 the crop. except
while they fail 10 moisten the leaves. IN
an the force available were turned into
the field 10 cultivate under TO the depth
OF two inches or less what Is fallen on the
surface these showers will keep the soil
below moist all the season. Il Is really
better for corn than heavier rains. But
potatoes require more moisture than does
corn, and. while shallow cultivation will
keep the tops green longer even with
light rains. Il cannot make as good a
crop as can be made when the whole
season "a holster
With a two-horse cultlvator, the horses
straddling the rows and the driver riding.
twice as much ground can be covered.
and az sofgreat a saving OF expense thai
It n we'll worth trial even by eastern
farmers. We do not cultivate enough.
nor often enough. Tho time has gone by
when TO get rid Of weeds Is the sole or
even the main purpose OF cultivation. lie
IS a sadly behindhand farmer who looks