Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1907-02-16
A few POINTS IN
CORN CULTURE
Proper Conservation of Soil Mois-
tore an Essential to Successful
Corn Raising IN the PaIouse.

ors in successful corn raising after Sc
curing good seed of the best variety.
are the proper conservation of the soil
moisture and the economical cleaning
of the crop, and from the nature of
our conditions these two results are
very largerly accomplished by the
proper handling of the soil prior to
the time the corn is large enough to
cultivate, No amount of after treat
ment can make up for improper handl-
ing Of the soil prior to planting.
For very best results the ground
should be plowed in the fall, seven
inches deep, and left rough to catch
the rain and snow There is much
more difference than is usually imag-
ined in the amount of moisture caught
and stored in plowed land as compared
to unplowed land If unable to fall
ploW the next best thing is to pillow
just as soon as the ground can be
worked in the spring, but if we are
unable to pillow our corn ground at
once the land should be disked to form
a mulch to preserve the moisture.
Carefully conducted experiments have
shown that moisture is drawn upward
in the soil much faster when the soil
is real moist than when it is compara-
lively dry, hence our greatest prccau-
tlon to save moisture should be taken
early in the spring while we have
moisture to save.
In test by Prof. King. of Wis
consin Experiment Station. ground
plowed May 7th had lost the equiva-
lent of 1.75 inches rainfall more than
adjoining ground plowed April Both
and properly worked down. As that
is nearly equal to our average April
rainfall its Importance can readily be
appreciated. AS soon as fit to work
in the spring, fall plowed ground
should be worked enough to form a
fair MULCH of loose earth on. the suy-
face to conserve the moisture and has
ten the termination of weed seeds.
Just before planting the soil should
be thoroughly worked to form deep.
mellow seed bed. For this purpose it
is questionable whether there is a tool
superior to the disk harrow. If con-
siderable time elapses between the
first working in the spring and the
final fitting before planting and the
first mulch is early beaten down or
destroyed by rains or weeds start
pretty vigorously an intermediate har-
rowing will be advisable if circum-
stances will permit
In early spring blowing each day s
work should be narrowed before leav-
ing the field at night. If not plowed
till near corn planting time roller or
clod masher should usually precede the
harrow to press down the furrow-slice
and renew the capillary connection.
On the early spring plowing this COM
pacting is accomplished by the early
spring showers.
The corn should be planted as soon
as possible after danger of heavy
frosts is past. Experience at Pull
man points to the tenth of Nav as
about the best time to plant. The
corn had better be planted in hills at
least 3 ft. 8 in. apart each way in
preference to drills on account of the
foulness of our ground. From two to
four kernels per hill is sufficient seed
as the corn will neither stand the
drouth nor ear as we'll if planted
thicker. Where the rainfall is less
than at Pullman-22.5 inches-the
seeding should be thinner. P. w.
Cox, of Hay, Wash, aims to secure
one plant per hill four feet apart each
way. Thicker seeding may result in
a greater tonnage per acre but of so
much poorer quality that the total
amount of digestible nutrients will
usually be less than with the thinner
seeding.
From seeding till the corn is three
or four inches high the spike tooth
harrow with teeth slanted backward
should be used often enough to pre-
serve loose mulch on the surface and
kill the weeds while small. If this
work is thoroughly done the subsequent
cultivation will be reduced to a min
imum.
The two chief purposes in using the
cultivator after the corn is too large
to harrow are to conserve moisture and
to kill weeds. AS the rains are very
scarce after this time two or three cul-
tivations through the summer will be
sufficient to keep the mulch in proper
condition, but the amount of work
necessary will be extremely variable.
depending upon the foulness of the
land and the earliness and thorough