The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1904-09-01
CULTlVATING THE CORN CROP
How We NAV Handle 1t with Small
Cost and Better Returns-Best Me-
thod of Sowing Corn for Forage.
W Buckett in Progressive Farmer.


the middle South. Its culture and
handling are of such great import
ance that they deserve the first con-
sideration from the hands of our !,
farmers Corn can be most profitab- |
ly raised where clover. cowpeas and ,
farm machinery have been a part OF
the system of corn production. Grim |
son clover and common red clover
are ideal crops to precede the corn
crop.
The corn needs Il good depth OF
soil tilth to get the best home for the
comfortable living and growing OF
the roots. In corn culture, then, the
two-horse plow is winning its way SD
as to deepen the soil to eight or ten
or twelve inches, thus releasing the
locked-up plant food in the soil, and
to take care of the moisture down i'll
the sob-soil as it comes up. and also
to take care of that which falls nthe
atmosphere as rain. a short rota-
ton involving cowpeas and clover,
followed by corn, will not require
much of the chemical fertilizers.
DOING AWAY WITH HAND WORK.
If the corn is planted of level sur
face, harrow or IL weeder should he
used so as to preserve the moisture
in the soil. and to distroy the little
weeds and grass that first germinate.
When the corn is up an inch or so
the implement can be used again,
thus doing way wich hand labor. At
the college farm we use n two-horse
corn planter that distributes the
fertilizer and plants two rows OF oorn
at time. Then we use harrow,
light one, to go over couple OF
times so as to make thorough
mulch and to destroy the weeds ANA
grass that come up. We plant the
rows four feet apart and average one
stalk to every twelve or sixteen inches.
The cultivator is used then during
the remainder of the season four or
five times, and in many fields no
hand work is done at all. We never
thin the corn or sucker it. All the
cultivation is of a level and shallow
nature. Corn should not be cult
waited ,more than one inch or two
inches deep, and Lever more than
| three inches in depth, because If Il
deeper cultivation is given, some OF
| the roots are bound to be injured.
and thus the corn crop will be cut off
and lessened in the end.
| The early planted corn is always
seeded to cowpeas with the last cul-
tivation. The later planted corr,
and that especially planted for eli
silage, is not seeded to cowpeas, but
left for crimson clover Immediately
| after the cutting of the corn. Fol
crimson clover we do not plow a
second time, but simply take a disk
harrow, or a spring tooth harrow
and provide a good seed bed, and
seed to clover which is lightly har
rowed in. We use about ten pounds
of seed per acre.
| DON T PULL FODDER.
| The age of pulling fodder has past
1t has been proved conclusively thai
it is not only expensive to do SO, bu
at the same time it is a wastefu
practice. There is SO much feeding
value stored away in the butts anc
stalks of the corn plant that ~nt
farmer can afford to waste this, ant
especially is it important where ha,
, is purchased. 1t has been found b,
experience here and in other State
that the corn plant shredded wi
give a feeding stuff almost equal t
timothy hay for horses and cattle
Why should we, therefore, waste hal
OF the corn plant by leaving TIL
, stalks and butts in the field to b
l burned or otherwise wasted when W
e could utilize ali of that material 70
e feeding and then return the same t
q the land in theform OF stablemanur'
:, In preparing the corn plant 10
S shredding we use the follOwin
e method: A 'gallus-hill'' or stool
$ made from the corn itself. \ suffic
:, ent number OF stalks Of corn arepuI
e ed over from two rows and tied t
n rether to the height OF ones wais
g or shoulder. The tie is made h
y simply bending the stalks over an
i tapping the tops and leaves aroun
e the stalks, thus making it thorougI
i ly secure and staple. Tie same er
g is attained as if we were to drivefO
l. stakes in the ground in the form OF
p square four feet apart. The top
the stalks readily bend over and Il
t top and the leaves can be Tapped n
e entwined within the stalks so as
= make it thoroughly secure aud AT
= to hold the rest Of the corn that Is
i be set upon the stool thus made.
d HARVESTING THE CROP.
=, We make from twenty-five
# twenty-five @: these stools for ca
; acre. Then the corn is cut, with
"a knife or some other implement tn
r. can be used in cutting, three or 10
inches above the top OF the grOui
and then carry to the stool and
ND. If an arm load is set on each
the four sides OF the stool and th
III tied together with a string or one
by the green corn stalks, it will be gu
or impossible to upset the same
ase wind or force 4 dozen or more
I'm arrnfuls are then set around ga
1t side of the shock, making il roul
ow When this is done the top OF
etc shock should be drawn together
i'd rope and ring, and closely drawn
md cther, after which the whole shocl
eed tied by binders twine, or some OF
form OF twine. oreven by green stal
The shock is set up in arnfuls, {
go the bottom is much larger than
ere top, SO there is a constant curren
VS. air coming up from all directi
ay, and circulating throughout
ith shock, thus insuring perfect cur
OF the same. One can make II
sixty to one hundred shocks per
through this system OF cutting.
,r.s means from three to four acres I
oent one man can Set up.
,re- Our plan now Iis to leave the
,n.d in these shocks until it is conven
ible for shredding and storing W.
r. AZ on now about our other fall W
sowing clover, putting in rye