The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1910-06-09
PETERSON 6 ERICKSON. r,ufect ur er ;.
cuLr,vATINe THE CORN FIELD
(By j. H. Shepperd, Dean N. OAK.

# weeds and drought are Cue tWo
great enemies of corn. In the North.
west this crop is grown usually to
clean the land and to put it In good
filth for small grain crops. Flax,
wheat, and in fact any of the small
grains do unusually we'll after a crop
Of corn. The second year after corn
has been grown crop of small grain
will show a considerable increase,
and the third year slight one.
60. More stock feed will grow on an
acre of drilled corn which is planted
very thick in the ordinary 3 IL foot
row than when it is planted in hills
by the check row system. 1t is much
more difficult to keep drilled corn
clean than corn which is in hills, but
most of our people do not even keep
hill corn as clean as it should be to
prove most profitable. Two-thirds OF
the feeding value OF the corn plant
is in the ear, so that corn planted In
hills should be seeded thin enough to
give the ears chance to develop.
One-fifth more Of digestible food ma
terial is contained in the ripe ear
OF corn than in the same ear, when
1t is in the glazing stage. On this ac-
count it is advisable to get the corn
planted in good season and give it
every condition favorable to early
ripening.
Use the harrow or weeder on the
land which has been planted to corn,
at regular intervals, once a week or
ten days from the time it is seeded
until it is about five inches high.
Whenever a crust starts to form on
the soil after a rain, the weeder or
harrow should be run over the field.
This work with the machine destroys
the weeds which Will sprout as re-
suit Of the rain and prevents loss Of
moisture by evaporation. Either Of
these effects alone will be worth the
short time necessary to cover the
corn field with the harrow or weeder.
Corn can be narrowed before it is
up and afterward until it is about five
inches high. Narrowing has the ad-
vantage of stirring the soil in the hill
between the stalks and throughout
the field so that the weeds in the hills
are destroyed as well as those b.
tween the rows. The man who runs
the cultivator in the corn field Is =
little careful about getting close to
the hills with the cultivator when the
corn Is small for fear of covering It
up, which will make it necessary for
him to stop and uncover the corn.
Corn which is two or more inches
high looks like the harrow is killing
1t and bears this bedraggled looking
appea ~nce for a day or two, after
the narrowing is done. In the course
Of week or ten days, however, it
shows an improvement over the corn
which has not been harrow and US
u,lly at husking the corn which has
net been narrowed and usually at
husking the time the difference is
very marked. Many a man is scared
out and gives up the job when he sees
number of stalks unrooted and
TIE be7raggled appearance of the field
throughout as a result of his harrow
ing. Alter he does this once and
Nctes the appearance at the time that
trn com is in tassel and therefore he
seldom hesitates again to harrow his
rcrn. incidentally, I might say in
passing that potatoes may and should
lie landled in exactly the same way
III cu,,ivating with the harrow or
ve~ie~.
Where wild oats are the weeds to
be cortented with, some will spring
w in ;Ne hills of corn with the best
cultivation and with the narrowing
which I have described. They are
LOT numerous but are enough to leave
. largo amount Of seed for the fol-
ewing season. These can be pulled
rather readily, however, and should
be removed by hand pulling before
TREY n~e Ear enough advanced to rip
en- seed from the sap which remains
in IL. stem when they are uprooted.
rhe corn grower should constantly
tea~ in mind that while growing his
corn. lie is preparing for future wheat
aaJ other small grain crops. That
he is r"flucing the weeds In his soil
for "A number of years to come. Thai
the easiest way to destroy a weed Ii
to coz The seed to sprout and shakes
ors The weeds for the sun to dry that
II shcy have started since the last
cultivation.
wit these point sin mind and the
Turthor fact that loose covering Of
soil wifi prevent water from evapor'