The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-04-10
WORK OF U[l[E [M]W[N]17GF]


pioWed and subsoiled in the fall. it
should not now be plOWed SO deeply
* TO turn more han an inch on. TWO
OF the SubsOil onto the surface. 1t Is
100 late now for this SubSOii TO be-
cone sufficiently aerated for It's plant
food to become available for this
years crop. Tie subsoil should be
broken with a subsOil plOW or coulter.
and be left iii the bottom OF the fur
row. On we'll drained iand we pre-
fer to plant on the level rather than
.7n beds. and especially would we
avoid narrow high beds unless the
land was very liable 10 flooding. Bed
ding has the fault of the old system
OF planting in hills or ploWing heavy
burrows to the rows. II tends to rob
the plant Of that moisture which is
50 essential TO the success OF the
crop by exposing more OF the surface
TO the driving action of the wind and
sun. rs soon after blowing as the
land will work. put on the harrow ant:
keep 1t going until t he finest and deep
est seed bed possible is made. After
the seed is planted. a plow should
never again be taken into the corn
field until after the crop is harvested.
The seed bed should be so deeply and
perfectly broken. and the surface. af-
eel with loose soil that no subsequent
deep breaking, either with plow or
cultivator. is needed. Such a prepar-
alton as this VIII DO more to secure
heavy crop OF corn than amy fertili-
ger which can be applied. Upon this
question Of the best fertilizer TO use
10 produce heavy yield of corn we
have letters every day. L is one to
which it is Impossible for us TO reply
with any certainty or definiteness
The cha racter OF the soil. and the
state of fertility Of each particular
field must determine the fertilizer
most needed fol. the cfoD. One thing
is quite certain. the Weld of the crop
viii be determined by the amount Of
that essential constituent for its pro-
ductiOn which is in least abundance,
and this cannot be Obyiated by the
presence in the soil of an over abund-
ancc Of amy other needed constituent.
hence the importance OF knowing
whether YOUR soil wants phos phoric
acid, potash or nitrogen, which can
only be determined by actual expert
ment. IN large series Of experiments
conducted over a larger arear Of New
York State by the Cornell Expert
ment Station for q period Of three
wears, it was found that in only 40
eases out Of l25 did complete fertili
HHT. that is. one containing all the
three elements Of plant food-phos-
phoric acid nitrogen and potash
give better results than fertilizers CON
tanning only one or two of the plant
foods. This shows how easy and
probable it is that one is throwing
money away when buying and apply
ing complete fertilizers. Where only
one form Of plant food was used.
phOSDhOric acid gave the best results
III the largest number o. cases. The
use Of stable manure gave the best
l@Hits. III nearly every experiment
made in the use o. fertilizers on the
corn crop it has been found that
heavy applications were not proiita-
Bic. In indiana Il heavy dressing Of
fresh horse manure G. tons to the
acre. was not. exhausted after l5 years
Of continuous corn culture. PrOba-
bly, for our Eastern and Southern Nir-
ginia. and North and South Carolina
lands a fertilizer made mp OF two
parts Of high grade acid phosphate
and one part tan'<age or cotton seed
meal. would be as good as any. This
should be applied broadcast at the
rate of 500 or 400 pounds to the acre
or. if put in the drill, should be spread
widely over. the row and mixed with
the soil a week or ten days before
planting. We. however. are strongly
in favor of broadcast fertilization. as
he corn plant is Il wide searcher for
food. and soon meets It's roots across
the rows and sends them to 4 great
/ depth if the soil be properly worked
Give from 3 feet to :, feet 6 inches
between the rows, and drop the seed
from IS inches to , feet a part in the
rows. Land hat Will not make corn
planted as close as this ought not to
be planted in corn at all. Corn plant
ed from the 1st TO the 20th OF May
usually does best, but this largely de
pendS upon climatic conditions. DO
not plant too deep. from , 10 > inches
! IS usually best. See that YOU plant
good seed. / ought to have been Sc
iected from the field at harvest, and
/ have been carefully stored away until
! this time. The bad stands, OF which
/ we hear SO often. are largely caused
! by planting seed of which the germ
has been injured. II IS good policy 10
| test YOUR seed corn by soaking a little.
and thus seeing whether the germ is
/ vital. Cut worms are a prolific source
| of trouble and damage 10 the young
corn plants. especially on river lands.
! hereyer danger is apprehended from
them. make up some poison balls OF
/ bran and Paris green. mOlstened with
water sweetened with molaSses. and
drop these over the field before other
/ vegetation appears. or before the corn
plants come up. The worms will eat
this mixture and be poisoned y
| pound OF Paris green to 80 pounds Of
bran Will be sufficient. Bunches Of
clover dipped in Paris green solution,
and dropped over the field, are also
effective in destroying the worms.
! In our next months issue. we will
say something as to the cultivation Of
the crop. Here we will only say. let
the first two cultivations be with the
| harrow. Harrow once before the
/ Continued on Fourth PaPe)