The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1908-05-30
CORN GROWING.
stir the Soil and XIII the Weeds In
Between the Rows.

/ have made 1t a somewhat firm
and a fast rule not to plant corn un
til the soil is good and warm, writes
a Missouri correspondent of Orange
Judd Farmer. This gives immediate
and rapid termination, bringing the
corn up at once, and in that way
saves the injuries hat often result
from o early planting, by mice and
insects working on the seed. 1t Is
my judgment that the early planting
has more to commend it to the corn
grower than late planting, yet as
stated above this is a matter wholly
to be regulated by the Individual OPP
orator.
| have secured my very best stands
by getting the planter tust deep
enough to cover the corn well. II the
ground Is real dry, deeper planting Is
advisable, three or ven four inches
not being considered too deep.
Now for the cultivation. There Is a
maxim in the commercial world that
well bought is half sold. So it nay
be said, if the corn grower does his
duty to the corn plant before 1t ap-
pears above ground, his battle is half
won. / like to cultivate, SO to speak,
at least twice before the corr comes
up. By so doing | accomplish some OF
the many purposes of cultivation. You
kill the %sprOuted weed seeds, aerate
the soil, hasten the warming up OF the
seedbed and increase your chances for
a good stand.
like to go over the land twice and
leave it in fine shape for the first 60
ing over with the s~iX-shOvel cultiya-
tor. Twice over with the smoothing
harrow will do this very nicely. Now
emove the large shovel next to the
row and put on the long, narrow bull
tongue and with a quiet, slOw-Walking
team you can get right up to the little
plants and give the little cOrn 4 reg
ular hOeing. You a also go deep
this time. without effecting root prun'
Ing, a thing to be studiOusly avoided
ever after.
like to cultivate four or five times,
depending upon the season and the
rapidity of the growth Of h plants.
While l am an ardent and an I'M
w~avering advocate of shallow cultivd-
ton, yet | know from my own expert
ence that there are times when you
must cultivate deep. When the sea
son has been wet and you have been
kept Out of the field until the weeds
are numerous and lusty, you must
pillow deep, for you will need dirt and
much dirt to cover these weeds, and
deep blowing is the only way to get
the dirt. Ordinarily, ] practice shall
low cultivation, for | believe it to be
better for the crop and l know it is
much easier on the teams. Especially
dc | like level cultivation the last
time going over the field.
Some of the very best yields I have
ever had, | have gone on the land i'm
mediately after harvesting the corn
and sowed to timothy with no ether
preparation OF the seeded than two
with a smoothing harrow,
securing a splendid stand of grass on
ideal bottom or surface. l merely
speak of this SD as to give the reader
idea as to how level | try to
leave the land at the last cultivation.
If you ridge your land and a drought
follows. the ground is just right to dry
out and injure che crop.
Keep weeds down, for remember
that they consame the soil moisture
as we'll as plant food. They are nc re-
specter of persons and they will havs
their share Of these things though
the corn plant Eanguish and die. There
is an idea held by some that the
excrement of weeds is highly poison
Gus to the corn plant, and for this, il
for no other reason, they should nat