Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-04-11
Corn Cultivation.

Corn Cultivation.
&c. NJ. Lewelling in Nebraska Farmer.l
In preparing a series of articles on
corn raising / shall try to deal with
the subject in practical way. follow
ing out the lines of natural law,
which govern the corn plant and its
reproduction.
To succeed we'll in raising corn
three things are necessary:
To succeed well in raising corn
as to make a good seed bed.
2. The planting of good seed corn
that is adapted to the locality.
3. Proper cultivation of the crop.
Corn. when growing, requires a
great deal of moisture. the most of
which is taken into the plant thru
it's roots The available plant food
being held in solution by the moisture
in the soil, is carried into the plant
and builds it's structure, while the
water leaves the plant by evapora-
ton. This process is going on con-
tnually until the plant and the ear
are matured, when the roots stop
taking up moisture, and the plant and
grain dries out. There is seldom
year, but some time during the sea-
son. there is too little moisture In the
ground and the corn crop suffers and
is cut short for want of it.
There is generally plenty of mois-
ture in the ground in the early
springtime, but if nothing is done to
prevent 1t, the wind and sun will
evaporate the water from the surface
of the land and the moisture will con-
tinue to raise to the surface, like the
oil rises in the lamp wick. and many
times before the corn planting season
is over, nearly all the moisture has
escaped and the ground is dry, and
cloddy. No amount of rain will put
such ground into really first class
condition again that season, and as
part of the available plant food, rails
ed to the surface with the moisture
and was carried away by the wind, so
also is the producing power of that
field lessened for that year.
In order then to get best results
the fields, whether to be planted in
corn, or to any other spring crop,
should be treated so as to keep the
moisture from coming to the surface
effectually done, by double disking
enough to work well. This is done
by tapping the disk one-half and that
will leave the surface all level. The
disk should be weighted so it will
work the soil to a depth of four or
five inches. This leaves the surface
of the field covered with a loose dirt
mulch (not dust mulch).
II there comes heavy rain so as
to run or pack the ground down hard
it will be necessary to disk the land
again as soon as 1t Is dry enough. to
loosen up the soil or the moisture
will again escape very fast and all
will be lost. 1t may seem that in
this case the labor of the first disking
is all lost, but not SO. Every time the
soil is loosened up so as to let the
air down into it, the fertility, or more
properly speaking. the available plant
food is increased. besides the moist
ure that was held In the ground by
the first disking is still there and the
loose moist condition of the top soil
made the rain penetrate the ground
very quickly, whereas, had the top
been dry and hard, much Of the rain
might have run off.
Again. every disking will destroy
crop of weeds. Weeds are easier de-
stroyed before they come above the
ground than they are afterwards and
that is the best time to kill them.
Land that has been properly disked
will continue in the very finest, moist
condition until June.
The corn can be planted with lis
ter by running little below where
tel, Il 4 ,,i01 ;,,
the hard dirt and the ridges made by
the lister will all be loose, soft dirt
and easily worked down when desired.
Or the land may be plowed and the
corn planted with planter and a
checkrower. In this case, however, 1
would advise narrowing the land as
fast as plowed.
Put horse by the side of the pillow
team and on the plowed ground. ty-
ing him back and jocky him off. Hitch
one wing of a smoothing harrow to him
and let him go by the side of the pillow
team all day, while blowing. The
ground will all be smoothed down and
the top put in the best condition to
retain moisture. No extra driver
needed.
If so desired the land that was
properly disked early and kept in
good condition, can be double disked
deeply at planting time and the corn
planted Immediately with planter and
checkrow and splendid results OBJ
tanned. On heavy soil, however,
would advise listing or blowing and
narrowing after disking.
Some one may say, Il have so much
land to put in corn I can not possibly
disk it all. TO such would say.
Try part of it. Do it thoroughly and
watch results.
I am satisfied that disking properly
will increase the crop 20 to 80 per
cent and know of an instance where
the yield was more than doubled by
one disking. I believe the day is not
far off when man will farm less
acres and harvest more bushels.
Breeding From Sound Mares.
Sometimes mares that are valuable
are incapacitated in part or altogether
for successfully performing farm
work This happens in some instances
at a comparatively early age. The