The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-07-26
RIGHT TIME AND RIGHT KIND or
CULTIVATION.


out pudding the soil. On tight Ian
this usualy means as soon as the flis
small cracks begin to form in the sui
face and on the average uplands @
western oklahoma VIII be from thi
ty-six TO forty-eight hours after th
rain. depending somewhat on th
amount Of rainfall
A good plan is to cultivate altes n
ate rows, going over the entire fiel,
as quickly as possible, then go hacl
to the side on which you began ant
cultivate the other row. This viii
help 10 dry out your earth mulch il
the middle, much or which YOU vii
have stirred twice. The sooner yol
can dry out your mulch and get Il
evenly distributed over the space be
tween the rows, the sooner you Wi
have your moisture bottled up where
Il can only get ont through the growth
of your cultivated crop.
The earth mulch lis the only known
means we have OF holding the mois
ture IN the soil, ana In this hot and
windy West nothing less than an even.
| ly distributed covering OF loose earth
three inches deep, will do ii. A good
! guide is to stick your fore finger down
at different points between the rows,
and II it goes the fun length, you have
Just the mulch you shonld maintain
continuously from the time corn is d
foot high until 1t is in roasting ear
find field after field where from
one to three furrows are left in the
middle by the cultiyator plows simp-
Iy pushing their way through the soil
Examine these fields in week after
the cultivation and you find them dry
and crusted. There is more or less
loose earth, but run your hand cross
way the rows, or better still, remove
all the loose soil and see how much
OF the ground has been left undisturb-
ed, really uncultiyated You viii see
from one to three little ridges ex.
tending mp to near the surface. These
ridges OF firm soil are in contact with
your suhmoisture and continue TO
bring II up and eyaporate il, almost
as If no cultivation had been given
Most anyone will recognize this as
the work OF four-plow diamond
pointed shovel cuitiyator, and also
that 1t is practically impossible to do
the right kind of cultivation for hold.
ing moisture in the soil with one OF
them
The thing TO do Ia to substitute
sweeps and see that they cut out all
the soil between the rows, but do not
run them as many are doing so that
a great bare space Is left In the mid
die. X you can't set them 80 as 10
drop the soil back at an even depth,
attach some kind of a drag to fill up
the furroW. For the extent to which
you are TO save the moisture for your
growing crop, depends absolutely on
the even distribution of your three
inch mulch between the rows.
Another reason for right time cul- |
tiyation Is, and have found this true /
In many fields which I have examined |
when you wait as much as a week
after rain before cultivating even
though you have had an ideal mulch /
establshed--it will be sufficiently |
firmed down by the rain for the fine |
feeding roots OF corn or any thor.
Ough crop to penetrate; then you are |
to tear them all out In or
Ter TO restore your mulch. When, II /
cultivation had been given at the
light time after the rain and before
he roots had time to form, not only
much moisture would have been
saved, hut the entire root system OF I
he crop would have been kept below
he depth OF necessary cultivation.
soing Through the Corn After II Is
too High for the Riding cultlvator.
This IL a part OF the cultivation OF
corn crop which II properly done
will pay well for the time and labor,
nd Il absolutely necessary If q good
iel6 is secured, when heavy rain
ONES right after the last plowing Ii
With the cultivator, and is followed by
ry hot weather ls
But the gimple instruction to go !
through with a five shovel" now Ii
r wheel or a fourteen tooth harrow, {
s not enough; and many have failed
o get results, when a little better
Of right time and right {
ind of cultivation would have kept {
hem on the safe side. .
The time TO Dc ii is as soon as the p
round Is in condition after the rain; !
nd the mulch TO make IS the same =
ou have maintained during the regu-
ar period OF cultivation The rea-
ons for IL are the same and even 4
lore important. because il comes at
time more than any other when the
mount of moisture determines the I
ield OF corn.
II one time through establishes a !.
mulch all right If it takes
lore, see that IL gets them 3
The fact TO get fixed in your mind i
, that 70 is a condition you must ere n
te and not a mere routine perform y
nee "
The fourteen toeth harrow is per h
APPS the most effective implement IS
,r the work
Two or more of them can be oper- p
ted by one person Ride one horse
nd lesd the other, using a three foot h
lick 10 which you can attach the rein *
( the horse You lead This helps you
turning and forms an angle up over II
he corn II q Is high. shorten the
eth by slipping them up so as 10 u
.wer the center OF gravity; take the s
NO outside teeth off and put them S
4 the inside OF the frame and make 8
lem an inch or more shorter than the y
st Tie a soft something around the I"
"a OF the frame to protect the corn
alks. Take off the handles and
,gulate your depth by the weight OF p
gunny sack silled with whatever !,
mount Of soil You need. n