Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-06-29
CORN GROWING.
o1le the Soil and Kill the Weeds In
Between the Rows.

| / have made it a somewhat firm
and fast rule not to plant corn un-
til the soil is good and warm, writes
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.
| 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 1t may
be said, if the corn grower does his
duty to the corn plant before it ap-
pears above ground, his battle is halt
won. I like to cultivate, so to speak,
at least twice before the corn 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
\ good stand.
like to go over the land twice and
leave it in fine shape for the first 60
ing over with the six-shovel cultiva-
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 a reg
ular hoeing. You can also go deep
this time, without effectirs root prun-
ing, a thing to be studiously avoided
over after.
like to cultivate four or five times,
depending upon the season, and the
rapidity Of the growth of the plants.
While I am an ardent and an un-
wavering advocate of shallow cultiva-
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 beee
tept out Of the field until the weeds
,cfu CT
plow deep, for you will need dirt and
much dirt to cover these weeds, and
| deep plowing is the only way to get
the dirt. Ordinarily, practice shall
low cultivation, for believe 1t to be
better for the crop and know it is
much easier on the teams. Especially
do 1 like level cultivation the last
time going over the field.
Some of the very Lest yields l have
ever had, have gone on the land i'm
mediately after harvesting the corn
and sowed to timothy with no other
| preparation of the seedbed than two
harrowings with a smoothing harrow,
securing splendid stand of grass on
| an ideal bottom or surface. l merely
| speak of this so as to give the reader
some idea as to how level 1 try to
leave the land at the last cultivation.
If you ridge your land and drought
follows, the ground is just right to dry
out and injure the crop.
Keep weeds down, fer 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 1anguish and die There
Is an idea held by some that the
excrement of weeds is highly poison
nus to the corn plant, and for this, If
for no other reason, they should not
be allowed to grow.