Hermanner Volksblatt. [volume] (Hermann, Mo.) 1875-1928, 1914-02-20
burrows every eight feet. On each side

RpdhtCus
The labor saved by the use of plant
ers Is so great that for profitable corr
! growing their use Is Indispensable
Every spring the planter should bi
thoroughly tested and adjusted.
The proper depth to plant must b,
governed by the quality and moisture
OF the soil. II 1t Is a stiff, heavy clay
containing plenty OF moisture ut plant
Ing time. n inch Is sufficiently deep
but II 1t Is a light. open. dry soil three
or four inches is a satisfactory depth.
Fortify against dry weather by plant,
Ing the seed in u furrow. covering II
slightly, and then gradually cultivat
ing the furrow full Of soil as the plants
grow. This method of planting is es.
pecially well adapted to deep soils
where dry weather is likely to prevail
during the middle or latter part Of the
growing season. The lister fulfills the
requirements Of this method.
The lister is used for planting fields
that have been thoroughly plowed and
also for planting directly in last years
corntield or stubble field without previ.
Gus preparation. This latter practice.
however. is not recommended for shall.
low or stiff clay soils.
Perhaps more corn is now planted by
means of a check rover than by any
other device. Some successful growers
of corn have found 1t profitable to use
two row markers set the same width
as their checkrowers.
A proper number Of stalks evenly
distributed constitute the best stand
for the production of ear corn. If
planted thicker than this the weight of
slower increases and the production
of good ears decreases. If planted
thinner the weight of slower, as well as
Of ears, decreases. Small growing va
rieties. should be planted thicker than
varieties producing tall stalks. The
distance. for planting in n particular
soil should be decided upon and the
planter adjusted to plant accurately
and regularly. Spots missed by the
planter, as we'll as those depleted by
crows, insects. etc, greatly decrease
the yield per acre. The custom OF
planting many times thicker than the
stand of stalks desired is not a good
one. If the seed terminates poorly 1t
should not be planted, for, although a
stand may be obtained by very thick
planting, the stalks will not be thrifty.
and a reduced yield will result from
using the poor seed. If the seed shows
q termination of 81 per cent or more
in a thorough termination test and 1t
is then properly planted the stand will
be almost perfect unless very adverse
weather ensues, in which case all the
plants will be so injured that the
planting of the entire field again will
be preferable to replanting the missing
hills and will be more easily accom-
plished. If a field has been drilled in but
n direction and for any reason a poor
stand is obtained 1t can be replanted
with a checkrower set to drop one
kernel at a time and operated without
the tripping chain. The checkrower is
driven ut right angles to the rows of
the first planting and Is operated so as
to plant just as it crosses each row
For this purpose two men will be re-
quired, one to drive and one to trip the
checkrower as it crosses the corn rows.
The most successful corn growers
realize the importance of thorough ear
ly cultivation, thus preventing any
check in the growth of the plants be-
on I1Cn nf yunpnc pr ortrctuI coil fThu;ftY,
corn plants are thick, strong and of
dark green color.
Horse weeders and harrows should
be used when needed to break a sur
face crust, check insect depredations
or kill young weeds that start before
the corn is up or large enough to be
worked with other implements. Dur
ing the first cultivation, or while the
plants are very small, narrow shovels
that throw the soil but very little
should be used. and tenders are usual
ly found desirable to prevent the Gov
ering of the plants.
Many comparative experiments of
deep and shallow cultivation have been
made, and, on the whole, the results
are in favor of shallow cultivation. II
excessive rains have packed the soil
and kept it water soaked deep cultiva-
tion will help to dry and aerate the
soil. Breaking the roots of the plants
must be avoided so far as possible
After the plants have reached a height
OF two or three feet the soil ever in
the middle Of the rows should not be
cultivated deeper than four inches, and
usually a shaliower cultivation will
prove better. For retaining soil mois.
ture a loose soil mulch two or three
inches In thickness Is advisable.
Corn should be cultivated often
enough to keep down weeds and to
maintain constantly a loose soil mulch
till the corn has attained its growth
To this end a greater number of cul-
dvations will be necessary when rains
at intervals of about a week cause the
surface soil to run together and crust.
This crust must be broken and the soil
mulch restored or evaporation will soon
rob the soil Of its moisture.
1t is a mistake to think that the
longer the drought the moro fraouant