The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1911-12-12

| and for This Crop Should be
PIowed Very Deeply.
Fall Flowing viii Accumulate moro
Moisture Than DlskIng and Har-
rowing-LIsting 10 Cons'o-
cred Dangerous.

MANY of our states have awakened
% tho fact that their yields OF corn
average far below what they CONSIDER
fair crops. and to encourage deeper
nlowing and better work generaiiy
have been offering prizes for heavier
production.
In Georgia the prize for the best
acre oS corn was won by boy Vi
eleven. Joseph Stone OF chester, Oh
eight-year-od land. He plowed Ten
inches deep, then cross-plowed ~
inches deep, then SUBSIDIZED where the
rows were to be planted, ~ lnches
deep: used about ten dollars worm
fertilizer to the acre. cultivated so as
to leave three cultivator burrows,
then again leaving only two burrows,
after that with other implements ana
raised 1925 bushels per acre.
7 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 plowing
methods. writes E. r. Parson In the
Dry Farming Bulletin. The land Tor
This crop should be plowed as deep
~ as possible, but not packed, Tor the
reason that packing favors top growth
and if we have a 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 IA
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
top of heavy foliage, goes to making
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, mere moisture than disking and
narrowing, but to secure good results,
the land must be plowed again in the
spring before planting.
Where the precipitation does not
fall below IA inches, corn can be
raised every year by blowing ten
inches or more and planting one
grain in a hill from "a to SO 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 OF.
Many farmers list in their corn In
hard land without any blowing at all,
and consider 1t hard luck when their
crops fail in dry years. In many Of
these regions, 60-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 burrows and
completely bury the corn.
The wheels Of the corn planter will
usually pack the land sufficiently for
seed termination In the row. The cul
tvation should be deep and rough
and always across the slope when
there Is any. We are fully aware
that level cultivation prevents evap
grafton, but in the cloud burst
states 1t also favors run OFF, and ex
perience shows that we gain more
than we lose by saving the run-of
at the expense of some evaporation
The ground should be cultivated a.
late In the season as possible in or
der to put it in receptive condition
for the heavy summer rains which
often make the crop. 1t is a mistak.
to continually cultivate corn during
drought; it creates too fine a mulch
makes mud, and stops penetration
when finally the rain comes. All tina
Is necessary is to break the crust an,
maintain a good three-inch mulch.
In times of severe drought. a crus
may form under the mulch; but if tn
mulch is intact, there is no NOR
evaporation than before, and tn
, deep blowing and the moisture in III
, subsoil will bring the crop through