St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-06-22
EARLY CORN PLANTING BEST.
Amount Per Acre Should Be Regulat
ed by Strength Of Soil.

Flowing should be done when the
ground is dry enough to work up
Loose and mellow. Much damage is
done by blowing too wet, on some
soils amounting to almost failure.
1t can get too dry and cloddy to work
up. For these reasons breaking with
full force should be done while in con-
dition. Clay soils piow best in win
ter or fall, for they are then moist
and can be plowed damper than In the
spring for the freezes following rem
der the soil loose and mellow.
For the reduction of clods, for the
fining of packed soil and for loosening
sods use the disk harrow literally,
cross dfsking. II the harrow follows
the turning plow closely only light
narrowing will be needed just to level
the soil. A good "a" or spike.t tooth
harrow is sufficient for three-fourths
of the narrowing If used at the right
time ana in the right way. Cross har-
row wherever possible; then there
will be little need of seeond harrow
ing. This usually puts the ground in
good condition for the corn, but there
are exceptions requiring the use of
disk harrow, drag or roller. At any
rate, prepare a good seed bed. This is
for better stand, better crop and
better afterwork or cultivation.
AS to time Of planting, from expert
ence and observation l am convinced
that early planting is best. We are
after quantity, and the heavy yielding
main crop sorts are most satisfactory,
but these require long growing pc
Rod, hence the Importance Of early
planting. With these sorts planting
in this latitude from the middle of
April to the middle of May is gener-
ally practiced, although earlier plant
ings are very satisfactory if the
ground Is warm and the weather set.
tied. AS to methods of planting, there
is wide difference of opinion, and
the planter must settle that; but
few remarks on this matter may be
helpful Checking means cleaner Gull
| t1vation by the ploW. Drilling Is cas-
Ter done, no thinning is needed and
ground and the stalks are more evenly
distributed. Where the soil Is rea-
sonably free from weeds and where
the surface lies in ridges, drilling is
preferable. The lay of the land may
be such as to wash badly if cross
ploWed. The amount per acre should
be regulated by the strength of the
soil and purpose for which the corn is
intended. Crowding makes a larger
yield and smaller ears, desirable for
cattle and other animals, while larger
ears are wanted for market
For feeding it is sometimes desir-
able to plant part of the crop for
early feed, using early varieties plant
ed early, but since these do not yield
near as heavy as the late kinds, they
should not be planted for the main
crop. AS before stated, plant the Late
sorts early so as to give them long
season, If forced to plant late use
some quick maturing (early) variety.
Color matters little, whether for feed
or market, but If anything there is
preference for the white. Select
large. firm ears for seed, preferably
from the top of the crib, if you have
not gotten into the habit of selecting,
breeding and drying your seed corn.
Shell by hand if possible, using only
full size, even grains, for those on the
tip and butt, though of good vitality,
cause irregularity of dropping when
used in the drill-E. W. Jones.