Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-06-26
AMONG THE FARMERS,


"oPnnD TIE PLow."
Correspondence on practical Agricultural topic
IL solicited. Address al Communication 4
tended for this department to HENRY ID. HAS
nosp. Agricultural Editor Oxford Democrs
SHALLOW CULTIVATION FOR CORN
III knew just how the season woult
turn out In regard 10 rain l could cult
vate my crops 70 perfection said
wise old farmer the other day. Aye
there's the rub. On good soil, with plent,
OF rain one can hardly help getting |
good yield. but IL it is to be dry ant
drocthy, the same culture would ruiz
the crop strsightway. am In the habi
OF supposing that the summer will be
dry one, and as far as possible carry ou
dry weather culture Of crops, especially
corn. l remember several years ago
starting out In the culture Of the corn q.
II q droath was already upon US, and
sure enough, IL came. Every five days
the barred cultivstor was sent through
the corn rows, remellowing the upper
inch and hall Of top soil, making II
finer and dustier each time. Ii saved
me the crop, and 8 better one | never
grew; while strip cultivated deep and
roughly gave Us about one-third as much
in yield, and very little II any ears, while
the other was profusely cared.
Once was Of the opinion that corn
land was best ploughed with the planter
following the plough; but my ex-
perience on clay land Ia that II corn land
can be ploughed four weeks before
planting IL Is far preferable TO fall
ploughing. for several reasons. First,
the vegetable matter In the sod has be-
gun to decay and supplies q natural
food for the plant. Weekly workings OF
the soil have germinsted and destroyed
the weed seeds near the surfsce-the
only place where they do germinate-
and the fining and compacting Of the
soil makes after deep culture Of little
need II not an actual damage 10 the crop.
such land will hold and retain more
moisture in time OF drouth than will
fresh ploughed land. Thus two points
are gained. With frequent and thorough
shallow culture weeds cannot get a
chance 10 grow, and there is continual
check on evaporation OF soil moisture.
Weeds, Of course, consume some fertility,
but this Is not so damaging 70 the crop
wanted As their robbery OF water. When
we multiply the eight thousand pounds
OF solid or dry material in sn acre Of
corn by four hundred-the number Of
pounds of water IL takes 10 make 4
pound Of dry matter-one can see we
cannot afford much wastage OF this
320, 200 gallons Of soil water 10 the acre
In growing weeds. IL Il shallow culture,
and its superiority over old methods Of
cultivation, that has brought 10 notice
the great crop OF modern weeders OF all
sorts and kinds, all intended TO be rapid
and effectusl weed killers, and promoters
OF what IL now known as "dust blanket"
mulcbing OF the crop.
Another thing this frequent tillsge
does. IL hastens the liberation OF plsnt
food In the soil. The man who wishes
10 force the fire into fiercer flame blows
IL TO feed IL with greater amounts OF
oxygen. The man who cultivstes often
forces more oxygen Of the air into the
soil and burns more Of the carbon that Is
in the humus Of the soil, and so liberstes
plant food more rapidly. But here Is =
thing 20 be inquired about: II the culture
Is deep, \ great army OF roots-plant
severed-the chance for the
plant 10 eat Il lessened. Part OF this In
creased plant food is taken up 10 regrow
new roots, and part Is lost by evaporst-
ing into the sir smmonisted gases. This
Is practically q loss. Really there Is lit
tie available plant food in the soil at any
one time, and IL Is really liberated only
by mechanical and chemical action-oy
breaking up and fining the soil with
tools and zerating IL; by the use OF
green manures In some form 10 produce
In the soil, 10 furnish sup
plies for bacterial action and TO supply
car bon in the form of humus TO burn.
Many sterile field Is sterile simply be-
cause OF the burning out Of all of It's
available humus-carbon; and when a
good green crop Is ploughed under, and
4 certain amount OF lime, twenty or
thirty. bushels TO an acre, Is applied,
new soil seems 70 be made.
In the culture OF corn l have come TO
change nv mind somewhat l am In
favor OF the weeder and OF shallow cultl-
yation 10 q certain point. l cultivate
every few days, as quickly as possible
after every rain, and all that early In the
season; but later on | am IN doubt. In
August, often earlier, there seems 70 be
a great change In the growing OF the
roots. All st once the very surface soil
with this mass of delicate rootlets, roots,
and even shallow culture destroys them
by the millions 10 the square yard. Is
il wise 10 continue making dust mulcn
10 their destruction: The mulch Is TO
hold the escape Of the moisture In check.
Will not this very moisture be caught by
this fine lscework Of fibrous roots and
riuy spongioles at the rootlet tips and
taken 10 the corn plants l have In dry
times cultivated not at sll after the nii-
ing of the surface soil with this mass OF
delicate rootlets, and my opinion Is
10 the side OF no cultivation
after the tasselling period Of growth. i
am confident | injured one held 50 per
cent by later cultivation, as dry weather
followed and the crop failed in develop
ing q new growth Of roots to push on
growth. In sections where only iZo
DAYS Of good corn weather can be relied
upon deep culture in drouthy weather
will greatly retsrd ear development,
where with shallow working the grain
will be well filled and mature. l think
in cultiystors there should be many nne
shovel teeth, rather than the few broad
ones that ridge the soil. After corn has
beea planted fifteen days doubt II any
advantage Is gained by culture TO exceed
one and = half or two inches in depth.
When corn is six TO eight inches In
height one will find the fine roots meet
ing iu the rows, and Il is wise not to
break them, but to promote their growth
oy every means in the farmers power,
that of shallow culture, and 10 stimulate
surface roofing exactly where the nj
: so-,,;ns, In tha hot mOist soil