Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-06-09
RIGHT AND WRONG CULTIVATION
OF CORN,

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Despite the widespread agitation
for better methods In the cultivation
of corn and the need of larger yields
to offset the increasing value of
land, there is still great amor,at of
Intellectual work done in tie eu.tiva-
ton of the corn fields OF the Midd,e
West. 1t is high time that thoss
methods which have been fo. nd OBJ
jectionable by our best corn growers
should be cast aside. The old idea
Of corn cultivation was to throw as
much dirt as possible, and the man
who could tear up the most srb:sur-
face soil and leave the deepest fur
rows and the highest RIGGS was con-
ceded to be first-c.afs p.owNian,
and big yield was propnesied for
the field SO treated.
We are now in possession Of Mowl-
edge with regard to the handling of
different soils and the growth Of the.
corn plant that shows the folly CT
suck methods. They create condi-
tions in the soil which are the exact
opposite OF what should be created
to aid the development Of the root
system, and the future growth of the
corn plant.
Generally speaking, we cultivate
corn. first, to keep the weeds from
gaining headway and monopolizs'ng
the moisture and available plant food
in the soil and, second. to maintain
a mellow surface that will check the
evaporation of soit moisture and ad-
NIT warm air to bring about certain
favorable. conditions in the soil for
the growth Of the corn roots. The
ideal implement to bring about the
above results, provided the soil Is
properly prepared previous to plant,
ing, would be the harrow, for It would
cover the entire surface and stir it
to depth that would kill the most
weeds and still leave unharmed the
roots of the corn, but for reasons ev-
ident to any experienced corngrower
the harrow would not be. a practical
implement. We, are, therefore, COM
pened to choose the cnluyator which
will, when rightly manipulateds ac-
complish results as nearly identical
as possible, and such cultivator is
one of at least three shovels to a
side or one Of the surface pattern. 1t
lis decidedly Questionable to cult
vate corn SO that ridges or trenches
are left between the rows. In. the
first place, the surface area OF the
field is increased from 25 to so per
cent. and this exposes the soil to q
greater loss of moisture by erapora.
ton than where the surface. is level.
The earth will be heaped about the
hills, in which case weeds adjacent
to the hills will merely be covered
and continue to grow or the row will
be left on a narrow ridge, and thus
the roots will be exposed and the
surrounding, coil quickly dried OUT, IL
case of dry weather. In case OF
heavy rains on land that is rolling
more or less of the hills will be
washed out, at least up to the time
the cornsis six inches high. The farm
er whow ould secure a maximum
yield should also consider the ques
tion of depth to plow. Much corn is
undoubtedly given a setback by toe
deep plowdng, especially after !, the
first cultivation. Here again NO rule
can be given, the poorer depth de
pending entirely on the texture and
formation of the soil. The object Of
deep cultivation is Of course to loos
en- the soil, and therefore deep cult
yation is entirely out of place in sol
that is naturally of an open texture
On such soils surface cultivation ac
complishes the best results. In the
cultivation of corn the. development
of the root system Of the corn plant
should be kept in mind. AS a gen
eral proposition the roots first seek
to occupy the soil near the surface
of the ground, and it is estimated
that thirty days after planting, the
space between rows that are thres
feet apart is largely occupied by the
corn roots. The largest roots. o.
course are found nearer the, stalk
say within a radius of eight inches
After the roots have spread ou
from the stalk the tendency is tt
grow downward toward moisture. 1
is therefore easy to see how desl
cultivation after the first tim,
through the field will retard thu
growth of the plant.
When land was cheap superficial
cultivation of corn could more oftel
be overlooked than at the presen
:. time. Ten acres then was, q, day
work where five or six acres is o
should be now, unless twoyrow cul
tivatpr is used. II the. cultivation o
corn on the average farm were, NOR
lin keeping with the sense Of \, tn
word, namely to till thoughtfully.
is safe to say that from one-fonrt
to one-half more crib room would b
} needed for the average crop, ,-Homt
, stead.
Get Out Of Doors: !. sSs,.; +,
Trudeau's classic experiment point