The copper era and Morenci leader., 1911-12-01
CORN ON DRY FARMS
Land for This Crop Should Be
 Flowed Very Deeply.
Fall Flowing Will Accumulate More Moisture Than DIsIcIng and liar rowlne-Llsting Is consid-
 cred Dangerous.

Many of our states have awakened to the fact that their yields of corn average far below what they consider fair crops, and to encourage deeper blowing and better work generally have been offering prizes for heavier production
 In Georgia, the prize for the best acre of corn was won by a boy of eleven, Joseph Stone of Chester, on eight-year-old land. He plowed ten inches deep, then cross-plowed IA inches deep, then subsoiled where the rows were to be planted, 22 inches deep; used about ten dollars worth fertilizer to the acre; cultivated so as to leave three cultivator furrows, then again leaving only two furrows, after that with other implements, and raised 1025s bushels per acre.
 I quote the above to show the necessity of deep blowing for corn. All the other records for corn this last year yere made by deep blowing methods, writes E. R. Parson in the Dry Farming Bulletin. The land for this crop should be plowed as deep ly as possible, but not packed, for the reason that packing favors top growth, and if we have wet spring, followed by dry weather, the corn is liable to overgrow itself and produce a crop of baggy ears-all husk and no corn.
 On the other hand, loose ground fa- vors root growth. The top does not grow too rank, and as soon as the dry weather comes, the corn, having plenty of root and not weakened by tn olxir ears, and we get much better crop than if the plant is allowed to over grow at the start.
 Fall blowing will accumulate, as a rule, more moisture than disking and narrowing, but to secure good results, the land must be plowed again i1 the spring, before planting
 Where the precipitation does not fall below 14 inches, corn can be raised every year by blowing ten inches or more and planting one grain in hill from 24 to 36 inches apart, according to the corn; but the land should be kept rough cultivated or plowed during the winter months, or as soon as the cattle are taken off Many farmers list in their corn in hard land without any blowing at all, and consider it hard luck when their crops fail in dry years. In many of these regions, 6O-bushel crops have been raised by good blowing Listing is dangerous for another reason; we sometimes get an extra heavy storm which will fill the lister furrows and completely bury the corn.
 The wheels of the corn planter will usually pack the land sufficiently for seed germination in the TOW. The cul- tivation should be deep and rough and always across the slope when there is any. We are fully aware that level cultivation prevents evap- oration, but in the "cloud-burst" states 1t also favors run of, and ex- perience shows that we gain more than we lose by saving the run-off l at the expense of some evaporation. |
 The ground should be cultivated as late in the season as possible in or der to put 1t in a receptive condition i for the heavy. summer rains which | often make the crop It Is mistake to continually cultivate corn during drought; it creates too fine mulch, makes mud, and stops penetration when finally the rain comes. All that Is necessary is to break the crust and maintain a good threeinch mulch.
 In times of severe drought, a crust may form under the mulch; but If the mulch is intact, there is no more than before, and the deep blowing and the moisture in the subsoiI will bring the crop through.