The Ward County independent., 1910-07-21
Proper Way to
Cultivate Corn.
c P. Bull, Assistant Professor
in Agriculture, Minnesota Elk.
pertinent Station.

in Agriculture, Minnesota Ex. ].
pertinent Station. :.
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The best way to insure corn crop
against failure is to give it the proper
, kind of cultivation. Cultivation be-
/ gins with the preparation of the soil
! for the seed bed. Frequent narrowing
before the corn is planted will create
| a dust mulch to hold moisture and
| will render fine and firm condition
! Of the soil PARTICLES. This is essential
| to enable the corn roots to penetrate
I! the soil and get into touch with the
available plant food.
BY the time this article reaches its
readers corn will be we'll along and
ready for regular cultivation. When
the work with the cultivator begins
! there are 4 few things to be borne in
/; mind. The roots of the plants are
the "foragers" which supply the plant
with food and water. II they are Grip.
! pied in any way, or can not function
properly, the plant must, Of neces.
sity, be stunted, and, therefore, incap.
.. able of producing normal growth.
The corn roots grow out from the
plant, in nearly horizontal direction,
, to distance of about four feet. They
, hen turn down and are said to seek
moisture" At first these roots are
few in number, but as the corn plant
develops they increase until, at tho
shooting" stage Of the plant, the soil
! is completely ramified with roots. If,
now, the roots are cut by deep cul.
tivation, the food supply Of the plant
is shut of. and a poor yield and quail
ity result. Experiments show that the
yield and quality are In indirect ratio
with the number Of days. cultivation.
Deep cultivation means running the
cultivator shovels two and one-half or
more inches below the surface of the
SOIL Shallow cultivation, from one
to two and one-half inches deep, is to
be recommended. It accomplishes all
that is desired and does it in the
easiest and most efficient manner.
The roots are not injured, the dust
blanket thus formed holds the mois.
ture, the weeds are killed and no new
supply is brought up from the middle
or bottom Of the furrow slice.
/, It must be remembered that cultiva-
.tion is not an operation simply to get
rid of weeds. It should be practicsd
even If no weeds exist, to hold soil
on which corn was the preceding crop,
is best. 1t should be deeply plowed
in the autumn or early spring, 50 as to
destroy insects and get it in good
physical condition. II manure is to be
added, it may bs added to land that
has been plowed in the fall, early in
the spring, or during winter, and then
plowed under very shallow in the
spring. Commercial fertilizers are
! very often applied to the crop in the
older sections Of the country, but
should be applied sparingly in this
! section. Farmyard manures are prob
!. ably best for our conditions.
Setting the Plants. The plants should
be set out four by four and one-half
| feet apart, and cultivation should COM
/, mence at once and continue as long as
! 1t is possible to 60 between them.
Deep cultivation should be practiced
at first, gradually growing shallower
with each cultivation. The crop
should begin ripening in August and
continue until September q frost.
Deliveries to the cannsry are regu.
lated largely by the cannery. Usually.
. contract is entered into between the
grower and the factory specifying con.
ditions Of growing and delivery. Prob
ably the fairest form Of contract
would call for the growing Of Ger
tain number Of acres rather than the
delivery of q certain number Of tons,
- Il is impossible for the farmer to
anticipate the season. Provisions are
frequently put in the contract to COW
or the date Of the beginning Of the
delivery.
A number Of diseases alRsct tho TO-
mato. among them, lsaf-spot, leaf.
mould and grsat1many others. They
are hard to keep in check by spraying
or other methods. Probably thorough
care in the handling of the plants, to
keep them thrifty and under the best
growing conditions, is the best pre-
ventative Of disease.
Farmers Bulletin 220, from which
. good deal Of this article has been
taken, deals with tomato growing, and
will be found interesting reading for
anyone growing tomatoes. This can
be secured from the Secretary Of Az
riculture, at Washington, D. G.
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