The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-04-17
GOOD FARMING; HOW IT'S DONE.
Cultivate Crops Thoroughly Not
Once or Twice But Keep at the
business For Good Results.

Business For Good Results.
The busy season for our farmers
is nigh at hand. In fact, if he has
been doing his duty to his profession
he has not been idle during the past
four months. AS success in growing
crops depends largely upon the prop
er preparation of the soil before
planting time, it is presumed that
the progressive farmer broke his
land in the fall or in early winter.
The winter is the time. when soil
preparation can be made most eco
nomically. The fall and winter rains
generally put the land in prime con-
dition for plowing. They also hasten
the decomposition of the vegetable
matter turned under by the plow. If
plowing is properly done in the fall
and early winter all vegetable matter
turned into the soil will have become
humus by spring time. AS humus is
necessary to soil fertility it can be
readily understood how important it
is that the vegetable growth on the
farm be preserved and plowed in the
soil. Soil without humus is not de-
pendable for crop growing. Humus
is not an element of itself of plant
food, but its presence in the soil is as
necessary as nitrogen, potash or 9TH
er constituents of plant food.
1t is rarely that land is too often
plowed in preparing it for the recep-
ton of the seed. The proper prepar-
alton of the soil to fit it for crop in
wolves a variety of processes, the
most important of which are the
loosening of the soil by plowing and
the continuous pulverizing of it to
allow the plant rootlets easily to run
through it and to take up their
nourishment from it. Soil must be
put in a good physical condition and
kept so, If the best results are to be
secured from its culture. Improving
the mechanical state of soil is equiv
alent, for the time being, to fertiliz-
ing. The benefits to come from the
use of fertilizrs depends largely up
on the mechanical condition of the
soil. 1t is almost a waste of time
and money to apply fertilizers to a
soil deprived of humus.
The preparation of the soil is not
all there is to plowing. The farmer
must not conclude that his work
should cease there. 1t may go a
long way toward crop growing but
after the plowing and sowing of the
SGGu nuSL tOulG yet ll6 ulOSI
ant operation-cultivatio And
here is where many of our farmers
fall short of doing their work we'll.
The crop must be properly culti-
waited, not once or twice nor three
times but many times. Cultivation
should not be done merely to destroy
the weeds and grass, but to keep the
soil in proper mechanical condition
that the crops may enjoy an oppor-
tunity to utilize the moisture pre-
served in the soil; that the rootlets
may breathe through the areated soil
above them and feed on the nourish-
ment stored in the soil. In case of
excessive drouths cultivation should
be more frequent to prevent evap-
Grafton of the soil waters and to
make available the plant food in the
soil. Too early laying by of the
crop is an evil that is costing the
farmers millions of dollars annually.
Cultivation should begin early and
continue throughout the growing
sea-on. Cultivation is more neces-
sary for a corn crop in tassel than
in any other period of it's develop
ment. But in this the farmer must
not confuse cultivation with plowing.
Flowing should cease with the plant
ing of the seed, and where plowing
ceases cultivation should commence.
Flowing should be done in the pre-
paration of the soil for the crop.
Cultivation should begin immediate
ly the plant energies from the soil and
continue at frequent intervals until
the plant natures. This will keep
the farmer employed, swell his bank
account and mark the difference be-
tween success and failure.