Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-03-22

The time-honored method OF ulti-
waiting corn or anything else invulv-
cd a great deal OF stirring up OF the
ground. cultivation" was held 10
be merely a continuation Of the pro-
cess OF tilllng the soil, IN the sense
of meliowiag IL.
That's what the fathers thought
That's what a good many OF their
sons think 10 this very day And we
grow % bushels OF corn 40 the sore.
Folks have been looking into the
record for the old shovel-plow. And
the old shovel-plow has been put on
the blacklist For look. see what the
old shovel pillow docs 60 the corn.
II cuts OF the slender roots which
lie close To tho surface of the ground
and spread out for several feet about
the plant Corn has no tap voot aud
these lateral roots are its sole source
OF nourishmeut
II breaks the ground into clods,
thus facilitating evaporation.
So today surface cultivation is the
thlng-n good scratching Of the sur
face. This aims 10 keep the ground
above the plant level and to mulch u
with a 1hin blanket of puiverized dry
earth This blanket OF earth serves
IN a wonderful way to prevent ovap-
Grafton from the sub-soil. II acts
just as a dry layer OF straw or hay
would In keeping the air from the
damp soil.
This dry mulch idea Is the basis OF
Z the practice OF "dry farming" so sue
cessfully carried on IN the somlariu
regions OF the west
Surface Cultivation.
! Surface cultivation then, IL factor
OF prime importance In the srowing
OF corn especially II should begin
/ before the plants come up. II it's a
field OF corn, the ground should nc
covered with the harrow or pulyor-
izeF while tho seed Is terminating 60
prevent the forming of a crust.
As soon az the corn Is up II should
he cultivated with a machine and or
'pocially for surface cultivation and
provided with Tenders for the protee-
ton OF tho young shoots When the
corn grows bigger the same machine
may be used without the tenders. II
the corn Is cultivated hy hand, a
NuNFN noe may Nv NH'N ~ ''ff'''H
the weeds and breaking tho soii uI
into a fine mulch two or three inche'
deep. Don't hin up the corn
corn can be cultivated; keep she
weeds down and mulch or puiycrizeC
earth on top OF the ground is enough
There are some exceptions 70
Instance. deep cultivation Is some
times made necessary by waier-aoak
cd soil. Also thore are exceptions q
Tho rules OF planting Ia certain vorl
dry sections the corn ~ planted In
furrnw. which Is gradually filled h
as cultivation proceeds. And II
some wet sections the field h plowe'
in small lands with dead furrow
every eight feet, and the corn %
planted on the ridgos between TN
water drrlns and stands 10 the dem
burrows and leaves the ridges com
puratiyely dry
Rules for Backyard Farmers.
Surface cultivation" concern
Everybody who grows anything
concerns the man with the hackynr'
gardens as well as the farmer VIII
1.-THE 20Oacre field Surface cultivation
IA applicable 30 potatoes and 20 othe
garden truck, as well az 10 corn
Folk used 10 raise potatoes unde
straw Some folk do Il YET And al
ways. other things being equal, On
airaw.groVn potatoes show bette
Yield than potatoes cultivated In %
lOld way The straw blankets IN
, ground and furnishes an ideal subat
, ltute for "dry cultivation
I By mulching your potatoes VII
b the dust blanket YOU can emulate th
I man who grows big potatoes unde
Z lsiraw.
'Don't "hill up" anything. unlo'
Milling ls needed 10 support wen