St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-01-16

shallow, not over an inch and a quar-
ter deep, if early.
Plant as early as your seasons and
the nature of your land will permit,
and only when soil is in good condi,
ton. Apply all fertilizer as directed
When your corn first needs work,
run on both sides with harrow or small
pillow; when it is about eight inches
high, give second working by running
around it on both sides, if on sandy
land, with 10-inch scrape, or sweep, set
on point, and if on stiff land use SHOW
ell. Thin now.
Leave these burrows open and do
not work corn again until it is so
stunted as to prevent it's ever growing
larger than is necessary to make what
corn the land is able to produce. This
does not mean that corn should be
left there to die, or even neglected,
but that it should be compelled to use
its energy in earmaking, and not al
lowed to waste it in stalkmaking. On
poor or cold land from ten to twelve
days may be enough, while rich soil
may take twice as long. When you
think that it has stood long enough,
apply one-half of mixed fertilizer in
the open burrows next to corn of every
other middle, and cover by breaking
out this middle with turn p1ow. And
side the corn at once in this middle
with 16-inch scrape, pushing dirt
around it, and covering any grass that
turn plow has left Corn should now
be about knee high.
Within a week give other middle
same treatment, then go back to first
middle as soon as possible, and SOW
rows next corn, and cover as fast as
sown with one round of turn plow-
shallow. Then sow peas broadcast in
this middle at rate of a bushel per
acre, unless very scarce, when they
may be dropped. and cover by break
ing out middle shallow.
A few days later treat other mid
die same way, which lays by corn on
slight bed with dirt around the feed
roots, before hardly punching for tas-
sci. Lay by early, for more corn is
ruined by late blowing than by lack
of blowing No hoeing should be ne
cessary, and thinning is easier with
one stalk in hill. Rub corn with coal
tar if birds or chickens are bad.
On sandy soils I would use for %
40 bushel yield, 100 pounds acid phos-
phate, 100 pounds cotton seed meal
and 200 pounds kainit per acre, mixed,
and rs pounds nitrate of soda at last
blowing, leaving corn 1920 inches in
drill, rows feet apart. For 1880
bushel yield would double amount
of mixed fertilizer, and also use 125
pounds nitrate of soda, leaving corn
1916 inches in drill, rows 6 feet apart
Clay land is said to require more phos-
| phoric acid and less potash; the fer
tilizing not so late nor the planting
SO early; but this do not know of
my own experience.
Mix your own fertilizer-you will
then know what you have, save money
and learn what your land really needs.
If you cannot grow peas, then try
velvet beans or iron peas, or some
nitrogen gathering crop which will
save your buying more of this ex-
! pensive element next year than is alb
solutely necessary.
The land in these rows is not vast
ed, for it gives better room to cult
vate, enables the plant to get more
sunshine and light, besides raising the
vegetable matter, which is the very
life of the soil-without it land can
much commercial fertilizer is used,
nor can this fertilizer be made to pay
on land lacking in vegetable matter,
however well cultivated
Never burn vines or stalks or grass,
unless it be nut grass; and turn I'M
der all dead vegetable matter possible,
gradually deeper and deeper until your
soil WI have enough fertility and hold
enough moisture to make good crops
at small cost, almost regardless OF
seasons.
Get the best seed corn in your neigh
borhood; that which does we'll in c h
er Sections may utterly fail when
changed to yours. Select heavy, solid,
regular ears of medium size, and
slightly tapering toward silk ends, well
filled out between the rows and at
both ends with grains long, full, thick
and free from weevils. Next fall Sc
lect this from small. well-shaped stalks
in field.
Do not pull fodder or cut tops if you
can possibly help, for either will les
sen the yield.
An acre of strong, stiff land well pre-
pared and fortified, after cats, and
planted in sorghum or sorghum and
peas, will make more forage than
many acres of fodder at much less
cost.
We learn nothing by doing nothing
new; if you are not satisfied with your
present corn yield, try an acre by this
method, and follow it closely and even
if it does not suit you, it may teach
you what will