The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1911-05-26
PREPARING GROUND
FOR the CORN
CROP.
BY J. A. JEFFERY.
SOIL PHYSICIST OF THE
MICHIGAN AGRICULTURE
AL COLLEGE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
~ HE ideal soil for corn in Michigan
Is an open loan. AS a matter
Of fact corn Is grown success
fully In soils ranging from a sandy
loan to a rather heavy clay loan. A
dark loan Is more satisfactory than q
Hght-colored loan. The darkness IN
color indicates the presence OF organ
ic matter. and the organic matter ID
helpful in two ways: First, IT IN
creases the soils capacity for capil-
larry water, and, second, 1t improves
tho capacity Of the soil to gather the
warmth coming in the form OF the
suns rays.
No crop succeeds itself in ordinary
practice without q reduction in yield
Tho rotation should include one or
two wears Of clover. TIE clover Is In
strumental In increasing the supply
Of nitrogen. ana 1t appears to render
other plant foods mcre available. In
addition, this system of rotation Ia
materially modified and the ventila-
ton and natural drainage are greatly
improved. The corn should follow the
clover. No other crop seems to he
able to take so complete ad, antage ct
the benefits derived from the clover
crop as the corn.
An ideal preparation of the soil for
corn Is as follows:
The clover should not be pastured
too close during the fall previous to
the planting of the corn.
The blowing should be done very
late In the fall or very early In the
spring. II the blowing be done in the
fall the field should he top-dress ID
with barnyard manure during the win,
ter or early spring.
AS soon as the soil Ia in condition
in the spring. it should be gohe over
mediately after with spike-tooth har-
row, and from this time on until pialt-
ing time should be frequently mar
rowed, using one or both tools, accord
Ing as they may he required to keep
the ground thoroughly mellow and
smooth.
II the blowing be done in the early
spring, the pillow should be followed
by the roller and the harrow, after
which the top dressing should be ap-
piled at the same rate as If the pl)w-
ing had been done in the fall. + ON
time to time, until the time of pow
ing, the harrow should be used to pre-
vent any surface packing of the soil.
The object Of applying the manure
as top dressing Is three fold: First,
when applied as top dressing it lies
where the transformations take place
more readily by which the Ttilizing
materials are rendered most available.
Second, as q to dressing worked in. It
forms a mulch which becomes effect.
i've in conserving the soil moisture
from losses by evaporation. Third, It
darkens the soil suf' GENTLY to in
crease It's capacity materially to All
sorb the suns rays and so improve
the temperature.
The frequent narrowing is helpful.
ing of the moisture. second, in the pro.
noting the ventilation of the SOL,
third, in Incorporating the manure
more efficiently and, fourth, each har-
rowing results in the destruction of a
greater or smaller crop of weeds. Ard
all these four together result in the
more complete preparing and sto. ing
of available plant food for the young
corn plants when they are ready for
such supply. Moreover, the destruc-
tion of such crops of young weeds re-
duces the number OF weeds so largely
that the matter of fighting the weeds
later becomes an easy one.
The practice follower oy so many
farmers OF not blowing the clover sd
for corn until within a few DAYS of
time of planting is seriously objection.
able from several standpoints.
It will be argIed that 1t is impos.
sible to do the blowing at the time in
Dictated, and that there Is not time
to do all the work suggested under
the ideal" method. This MAY be
true in some cases, hut this makes the
ideal method none the less ideal.
Many farmers succeed in growing
excellent crops of corn by the old
method. It does not fellow that thew
would not grow better crops IL thew
followed the method here described.