The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-04-06
Planting the Corn Cron.

When the frost leaves the ground
every farmer will start on his corn land
with the pillow, and the time is nearly
here for so doing. 1t matters not how
soon the, seed is planted, or how late
such work may. be deferred, the most i'm
portant detail in the growing of corn is
the soil will depend the ability of the
crop to endure drouth. 1t is not unusual
for prolonged dry spell to injure grow
ing corn from May to August, and the
difference in the amount of moisture in
received special attention will be very
marked. Not only should deep blowing
be practiced, but the ground should be
narrowed as fine as possible. A success
full corn grower gave his method of Sc
curing good crops. 1t was his rule to
harrow twice as long as it seemed neces-
sary: When the work of narrowing was
count of the weather or some other
drawback, he always narrowed again
as he did before. The summary of the
matter is that too much narrowing can
not be given the land for corn. When
the seed is planted the rows should be
perfectly straight, which will be of much
advantage after the plants are up. The
seed should be carefully examined, and
it is better to use enough seed and get
too many plants (which may be thinned
QUIT than to be compelled to replant, as
replanted corn comes too late to be prop
erly fertiiized with the pollen, which ac-
counts for the lower yield of fields that
have been replanted. Get the seed in
liability to frost 50 as to give the young
plants an early start
Ihe corn plant is gross feeder and it
IS an excellent crop upon which to put
the coarse manure, but fine manure is
better. The manure should be spread
so as to be worked in at the time of har-
rowing. Corn sends it's roots in all d.
rections, feeding near the surface, hence
there will be no loss of manure if it is
fine, as the roots will not miss anything
that serves as food. The amount of fer
tilizer to use depends on whether sod
is turned under or not. On sod land in
fair condition those who have made ex-
periments find that an excellent fertilizer
may be composed of 100 pounds nitrate
Of soda, 200 pounds dry ground fish, $50
pounds acid phosphate and 22O pounds
muriate Of potash or high,grade sulphate
of potash. This gives 80 pounds nitro
gen, 40 pounds phosphoric acid and 40
pounds potash. On land that is some
what poor the nitrate of soda may be
doubled and the phosphate and potash
increased about 10 per cent. When
manure is used the proportions of fer
tlllzer materials may consist of 80 pounds
nitrate of soda and 100 pounds each of
ground dry fish, acid phosphate and muri-
to follow, however, as the quantity of
manure used and it's quality and avail
ability must be considered. Where
manure was used the previous year, on
some other crop, it is possible that Dor
ton of the plant food was left over and
the corn will secure it. The proportions
OF fertilizer recommended are for one
acre, and the best results will be obtained
when the materials are broadcasted and
narrowed in, as it may be Injurious to
the young plants to use too much fer
tilizer in hills should dry season pre-
vail.
Corn should be cultivated from the
start. The weeder is new implement
now in extensive use, and it makes sad
havoc with the early weeds without in
]urlng the young corn, and it is also a
very simple continuance. Many farmers,
however, who have not changed their
ing harrow. for the first working and
then use the cultivator. The weeder
should be used only for young weeds
The cultivator is the proper implement
after the corn gets well under way, and
after the spring rains are followed by
dry weather, as the stirring of the sur
face soil is one of the surest modes of
protecting the crop from the effects of
the drouth. II the blowing is deep, and
the soil narrowed fine, it will absorb and
hold more water than when the work is
not SO carefully done, and this stored
water in the soil is retained by the
blanket of loose soil made by the cul-
tiyator. The cultivator also destroys the
weeds and grass, and as the weeds will
rob rho nt0nfa 1niSfyNro5 II So; :,