Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1910-06-02

625, 600 acres OF corn. yielding abou,
32 bushels an acre That this WELD
can be increased by breeding and
selec Ing for higher yield and by
planting tested seed to insure a
good stand, no one doubts saws
Nicholas Schmitz. OF the Maryland
Agricultural Experiment Station
There is another. equally or per.
haps more, important factor and one
easily controlled, but which has no,
been fully appreciated by MARYLAND d
farmers-that of conservation ot
moisture.
After periods of heavy rains farm
ers are apt to forget that before an.
other month or six weeks their corr
crop NAV ba badly IN need of mois.
ture. and il the season from now on
IS an average one the crop will slf.
Ter for the want IL water severa
times before it has reached maturi.
ty. Yet it is rare occurrence in
Maryland when not enough water
iall> during the winter and growing
season to produce 75 bushels OF corn
an acre on fertile land. Even last
year enough moisture fell 10 produce
20 bushel OF corn an acre. as was
proved by few farmers in different
sections of the state. Indeed. one
man produced over 80 bushels an
acre on land that had no better
moisture advantages than that of his
neighbors who produced less than
10 bushels. Outside OF fertility the
secret in every case was the proper
tilling OF the land 70 receive and
save the moisture
There is no doubt that the lack of
moisture in u normal season at crit
cAl times cuts down the yield Of corn
IN Maryland perhaps more than an,
one factor. which the farmer to a
very large extent has under his con-
troll. Often if but a-half inch more
water were in the soil, DESTROYED.
withered crop might have been saw
ed. Cultivation will save j., The
underlying principle is simply this:
Water is carried up from the store
house OF the lower depths of soil by
capillary attraction. 1t rises in the
soil from soil particle TO soil parti.
Gle the same as oil creeps up on a
lamp wick, and when it reaches the
it passes into vapor and off
In the atmosphere ar is lost, unless
prevented by a mulch Of loose soil.
This acts the same in preventing
evaporation as a thick covering of
straw or leaves. After periods OF
abundant rainfall nothing pays better
than loosening up the surface 3 or 4
inches deep of the plowed field. If
the corn has not been planted. with
a disk or harrow. as the case NAV
require, or later in the season when
the crop is growing, with the cult
vator. IL heavy rains come before
the corn is up, the surface cru & NAV
be broken and evaporation checked
by running over the field with
spike tooth harrow.
During the growing season the
cultivation should be frequent, and
after each period OF rainfall or rains.
il conditions will allow. The cult
vation should be shallow after corn
has reached a height OF two feet or
more, unless it becomes necessary
10 plow deep on account OF weeds.
Freshly plowed land should be pul-
verized on the surface the same day
Il is plowed, if possible, TO prevent
evaporation moisture. It must
be borne in mind however, thai fre-
luent cultivation and often deep
blowing is as necessary to get The
water into the soil as il is to hold il
Tor future use. When water runs
1f it is not only lost to the plants
but it also washes the surface and
carries away a great deal Of soil and
plant food. Good farm practice,
aims to hold the surface
0f the soil in such a condition that
the necessary rain supply shall be
received into it, and by gravitation
draw it to the lower region to be
held there until needed.