The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-20
Cm tivation of Corn.

There Is probably no other grain crop
which the farmer grows which depends so
much on the care and tilage given as 1t
does Indian corn, says the American Cul-
tivator. 1t Is a plant that loves almost
tropical warmth, and Is most impatient of
the cold and wet days of early spring.
The old Indian Enle NOT to plant corn until
oak leaves were the size of a fnouse's ear
showed that this habit of corn in refusing
to make growth until the soil was warm
was well understood before the white man
ever began growing this grain And yet
even in the cold days of early spring much
can be done TO warm the seed bed, so that
when the grain is once under the soil 1t
may grow without interruption. Soil
warns slowly, except at it's surface,
whence the suns rays are refracted, the
warm air rising from the earth instead
of penetrating 1t. So while the surface
soil may be pretty warm, If you dig an
inch below scarcely any of this heat has
penetrated. When we pillow land in spring
it means turning under the furrow more or
less warmer surface soil that can only
slowly rise and warm the whole furrow
above 1t.
The same principle holds good in culti-
walton of corn. The first cultivation ought
therefore to be as deep as the mellow soil
extends and, of course, much deeper than
the seed Is planted. So while there is ad-
vantage In narrowing the whole surface
before the corn is up, such narrowing is
necessarily shallow, and cannot have the
effect of warming the soil except by MAX
ing a little mellow soil a the surface and
thus checking evaporation. So soon as
the corn is high enough to see the rows,
go through between them, putting the cul-
tivator down as near to the bottom of the
the furrow will be disturbed, and warm
surface air win be brought in contact with
1t. If there is a top dressing Of manure
on the sod, or if the sod be clover, IL will
already have begun to ferment Running
the cultivator through It once will make
this fermentation more rapid.
Where such cultivation has been done 1t
is astonishing how quickly corn roots viii
spread between the rows in this warmed
and pulverized soil. There Is plenty of
plant food In such warm soil, as is shown
by the change of color of corn from pale
yellow to the dark green that every corn
grower loves TO see. Always when corn
looks yellow and unthrifty 1t means that
the soil lacks nitrogen. CultiVating it is
the best and cheapest remedy. Yet we
often hear farmers say in spring that the
corn looks bad, is yellow and sickly, be
cause the weather is too cold for It." That
is one reason. But the worst effect of too
much cold weather is that 1t retardS the
formation of nitrogen in the soil by the
decomposition of its vegetable matter
Warm this soil by putting a good dress
ing of manure under it, or by cultivatlng
the soil after il has been plowed, and the
corn changes its color sometimes within
"a hours, and thenceforward begins to
grow as corn ought always to do.
On any fairly rich soil, or where stable
manure has been put. the amount of avail
able plant food can more easily be in
creased by cultivation than in any other
way. Every time rain falls, the surface is
compacted so that air cannot enter into 1t
and 1t cannot be warmed. The cultivator
breaks this crusted surface. When air
comes in, fermentation begins of any veg
etablc matter that the soil contains. If It
is humus, that is rich in nitrogen, the
fermentation Is rapid. If there Is no fer
mentation which is the case where the
soil is filled with stagnant water, humic
acid is developed In the soil. This is pols-
onous to the roots Of all cultivated plants
Many farmers have doubtless noticed corn
leaves that appear brown, and look as if
they had been touched by frost though
the weather had been wet rather than
cold. In all such cases II is humic acid
rottiug the roots rather than frost that
has done the mischief.