The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-26
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CORN IMPROVEMENTS.
seed Is IN the ground I Wal
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seed is in the ground want
my crop OF corn is more than
The time for cultivating a
GU. n as well as nearly all other
crops, is before the seed is planted. All
deep blowing for "a corn crop should be
done as nearly as possible, and usually
the earlier we plow the deeper we can
pillow. All the filming of the soil should
also be done before planting. There are
various implements for doing this work.
one of the best being good steel har-
row.
The condition OF the soil should deter
mine the implements to be used in this
work Where the land was sown to win
ter rye as recommended in former pages,
and not trodden by stock, and such lands
are reploWed in the spring Il good steel
harrow may be all that is needed or n
good disk harrow may precede the use OF
the smoothing harrow. In fact there is no
better implement than a good disk, and
where the soil is rough or where there
is sod, it will always pay TO disk ahead
of the smoothing harrow. Where corn is
planted on such a soil as is here recon-
mended the after cultivation is an easy
and pleasant job rather than one of labor.
After the corn is planted and just before
1t comes up the field should be cultivated.
in this sometimes the harrow Will an
swer. in other cases it may be we'll to
cultivate before using the harrow, keep
ing the work of narrowing right UP with
the cultivator before the soil has time
to dry. After the corn is up and unroled
1t may be well to use the harrow again,
then in few days more harrow again.
This all depends upon condition of the
soil and weather.
There is no better implement for the
cultivation of corn than good harrow.
vet It is a dangerous implement TO trust
to a careless farm hand. The greater
part of the cultivation of my corn. whea
and potatoe crops is performed with a
good harrow.
To get such results from the use of
the harrow, the soil must be free from
all distractions, stumps, stones and
trash.
The best time for using harrow is
right after a rain and as soon thereaft-
er as the soil is dry enough to work, as
It is then that the weeds are just starting
n growth in the soil and more weeds
can be destroyed in one hour al such a
time than could be killed in two days
by the cultivator after the weeds have
got up and started. Besides killing the
weeds in the embryo state, the soil at
such time is in Just the proper condition
TO work down fine thus leaving it in fine
condition for conserving moisture.
New here is my plan for cultivating
corn: Plant the corn in well prepared
Seed DeuS, IN Il lew Gays after pant
ing. just when the weeds start. and har-
row the field over before the corn comes
up. If the soil is a heavy clay it may
be best to use the cultvator ahead of
the harrow. In about one week after
the corn is up, harrow again.
BY this time the plants have begun to
unroll and have become hardened by
air and light so that they will not snap
off as they would do IL the harrow was
used as soon as the plants are through
the ground. After a few days, perhaps u
week, harrow again.
Now this gives three borrowings after
planting before the cutivator is ever put
in the field, but the reader must re-
member that in this we are governed by
weather conditions, and that we may be
cut out of part of this plan. Where