Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1912-05-16
How To Cultivate Corn.
Written for the BANTER News by Prof
Taylor Of the Deere Experiment Farm,
Moline, III.

The nature of the cultivation
of corn depends, in a great meas
ure, upon the character and
depth of the seed bed. If the
seed bed is deep and thoroughly
pulyerized, the cultivator shovels
can be run to a greater depth
without injury to the plants than
if it is shallow and lumpy.
Any mechanical operation that
tend to disturb the roots I1ecess-
arily interferes with the growth
of the plant. The natural growth
in size and length of corn roots
moves the soil sufficiently to adj
NIT air and moisture providing
the seed bed is of good filth.
Cultivation is intended to re-
move weeds, keep the surface in
condition to readily absorb rain,
and maintain a surface mulch OF
blanket to prevent the escape OF
soil moisture. A surface mulch
is made effective by stirring the
soil. After a mulch is formed
and remains untouched for a pro-
tracted period, the soil particles
adjust themselves in such a way
that the mulch becomes inettec-
five. hence. the necessity, even
though no rain falls, to stir the
surface at least every two weeks
during the growing season.
Again, if mulch is a smooth
fine dust blanket, it will not pro-
mote rapid absorption of water
in case of rain, but rather tends
to cause it to run away. The
most effective mulch is slightly
course or granular, and left in q
roughened state instead of smooth
It must be remembered that
while we are attempting, with
the mulch to preserve moisture,
we must not have that mulch OF
such a nature that water cannot
be absorbed in the event of rain?
Years of demonstrations on an
extended scale cenvinces the writ
err that the following plan of OPP
erationS will result in less fail
ures and more large yields than
any O ther plan devised.
A deep seed bed is the first
thing to provide. After the corn
is planted, it should be rolled,
either with a smooth or CORFU
gated roller for the purpose OF
packing the soil around the kerr
nels, a condition necessary to
promote rapid termination. In
sections where the wind blows
hard, a corrugated roller run at
right angles with the wind will,
in a measure, prevent the soil
from blowing.
AS soon as the corn begins to
break through the ground, or
even before, a weeder or peg
tooth harrow should be used.
These implements remove weeds
and keep the surface in condition
to receive moisture as well as
to retain it.
After the corn is three or four
inches high, one deep cultivation
is admissible. AS soon as the
roots begin to spread between the
rows, the corn should not be cul-
tivated deep enough to cut them
or in any way interfere with
their growth. There is less dam
ger of cutting and disturbing
roots in deep seed bed than in
one that is shallow.
The best and most economical
implement for the farmer to use
is a combination cultivator, us
ing the shovels during the first
cultivation and subsequently, TAX
ing them off and substituting for
them small surface shovels known
as sweeps. Sweep shovels can be
worked extremely close to the
hill, and owing to the fact that
their depth is easily regulated,
there is no danger of cutting or
disturbing the roots. Again, the
sweep shovel, while it forms
splendid mulch leaves the soil in
a roughened state.
Gopher knives are often used
for surface cultivation, but ow-
ing to the fact that they shave
4Lo Srrface CRACKS are not well