The Ordway new era., 1911-10-13
CORN ON DRY FARMS
Land for This Crop Should Be
PIowed Very Deeply.
Fall Flowing Will Accumulate More
Moisture Than Disklns and Har.
rowing-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
plowing and better work generally
have been offering prizes for heavier
production.
| In Georgia. the prize for the best
acre OF corn was won by boy Of
eleven. Joseph Stone of Chester, on
eight-year-old land. He plowed ten
inches deep. then cross-plowed "A
inches deep. then subsoiled where the
deep: used about ten dollars worth
fertilizer to the acre: cultivated SO as
to leave three cultivator burrows.
then again leaving only two furrows.
after that with other implements. and
raised l02% bushels per acre.
quote the above to show the
necessity OF deep plowing for corn.
All the other records for corn this
last year ycre made by deep plowisSS
methods, writes f. X. 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 II We have wet spring. followed
by dry weather. the corn is liable to
overgrow itself and produce 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 az soon AZ the
dry weather comes. the corn. having
plenty of root and not weakened by a
top of heavy foliage. goes to making
ears. and We get much better crop
than II the plant is allowed to over
grow at the start.
Fall plowing will accumulate. MS n
rule. more 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 II inches. corn can be
raised every year by plowing ten
inches or more and planting one
grain In a hill from - to 36 inches
APART. according to the corn: but the
land should be kept rough cultivated
or as soon MS the cattle are taken of.
Many farmers list In their corn In
hard land without any plowing 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 plowins. Listing
is dangerous for another reason 1--WE
sometimes get an extra heavy storm
which will MI 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-
and always across the slope when
there Is any. We are fully aware
that level cultivation prevents cvap.
grafton. but In the CLOUD burst"
states 1t also favors run OF. and ex-
pcrience shows that We gain more
than we lose by saving the run-off
at the expense OF some evaporation.
The ground should be cultivated rs
late In the season as possible In or
der to put II In receptive condition
for the heavy summer rains which
often make the crop. II Is mistake
to continually cultivate corn during n
drought: It creates too fine mulch
makes mud. and stops penetration
when finally the rain comes. All tha.
Is necessary Is to break the crust and
maintain n good thrce-inch mulch.
In times of severe drought. n crust
may form under the mulch: but II the
mulch is intact. there Is no more
evaporation than before. and the
deep plowing and the moisture In the
subso!l will bring the crop through.