Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-06-26
CORN GROWING.
Stir the Soil and Kill the Weeds If,
Between the Rows.

I have made it a somewhat firm
and fast rule not to plant corn I'M
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 that often result
from too 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 op-
orator.
l have secured my very best stands
by getting the planter just deep
enough to cover the corn well. If the
ground is real dry, deeper planting is
advisable, three or even 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 may
be said, ii the corn grower does his
duty to the corn plant before it APP
pears above ground, his battle is half
won. | like to cultivate, so to speak,
at least twice before the corn comes
up. By so doing l 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 go
ing over with the six-shOvel cuftiva-
tor. Twice over with the smoothing
harrow will do this very nicely. Now
remove 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 reg
ular hoeing. You can also go deep
this time, without effecting root prun-
ing, thing to be studiously avoided
ever after.
| like to cultivate four or five. times,
depending upon the season, and the
While | am an ardent and an I'M
wavering advocate of shallow cultiva-
ton, yet l 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, l practice shall
low cultivation, for l believe it to be
better for the crop and l know it is
much easier on the teams. Especially
do l like level cultivation the last
time going over the field.
Some of the very best yields I have
ever had, l have gone on the land i'm
mediately after harvesting the corn
and sowed to timothy with no other
preparation of the seeded than two
borrowings with a smoothing harrow,
oCCui Ills oplCuulO oIdHu VI doo vi
an ideal bottom or surface. l merely
speak of this SO as to give the reader
some 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 the crop.
Keep weeds down, for remember
that they consume the soil moisture
as well as plant food. They are no re-
specter Of persons and they will have
their share of these things though
the corn plant languish 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, If
for no other reason, they should not
be allowed to grow.