The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-04-15
CCLTIVATING THE CROP.
Why We Cultivate and Why We
Should Continue to Cultivate.


planting the seed as preparation, then
most Southern farmers cultivate TO
kill weeds. Even some scientists. ac-
eepting the apparent results of linz
tied experiments, have suggested that
to kill the weeds is the chief purpose
of cultivation.
But tillage before and after the
crop is planted cannot be separated,
in so far as effects on the soil and
crops are concerned. This is true.
even if the sole purpose of tillage
were to kill weeds, for on the thor
oughness of the preparation largely
depends the ease with which weeds
and grass can be killed after the
crops are up. Anyone knows that 1t
is much easier to keep out of the
grass" if the land is thoroughly pull
verized before the crop comes up,
and how much easier it is to kill
young grass and weeds in a soil made
mellow by thorough preparation and
the addition of large quantities OF
decaying vegetable matter.
If the preparation is thorough and
moisture conditions right it may we'll
be admitted that the chief object OF
cultivation is to kill weeds: but un-
der usual conditions cultivation
serves other purposes of scarcely less
importance.
The purposes of cultivation. there
. fore, may be stated as including the
following:
l. To kill weeds.
2. To aerate and improve the me-
chanical or physical condition OF the
soil.
8. To save moisture. or prevent as
far as possible TOO great loss Of water
by evaporation.
1t is not easy to overestimate the
Importance of killing weeds in all
SlopS HSs w ~ SoAStiii
ing plant foods and water which may
be needed by the crops: but they may
also crowd and shade the crops and
leave seeds or other means Of per-
petuating themselves, which make
future cultivation more difficult and
expensive. Here in the South we
have given altogether too little atten-
ton to the Importance of preventing
weeds from making seeds to be scat
tered broadcast and torment us in
future years. This is especially true
as to our corn fields when cultivation
is stopped early and the growth OF
corn is light. Even this one purpose
of preventing the production of grass
and other weed seeds might we'll be
considered as justifying later culti-
walton of corn than is generally prac-
ticed. Where only two-horse culti-
vators are used in the cultivation Of
corn there is some excuse for not
cultivating after the corn is waist
high, but in the South where one
horse implements are largely used
there is no good reason for laying by
corn so early, especially since late
and light or shallow cultivation is
usually profitable as means of saw
ing moisture.
If the land has been broken deeply,
is well filled with humus and thor
oughly pulverized before planting,
cultivation after the crop is planted
is chiefly to kill weeds and save mois
ture; but in most cases the cultiva-
tion after the crop is up is also use
full in pulverizing the soil, thereby
aiding in setting free plant foods by
promoting chemical changes. Early
in the season when the soil tempera-
ture is apt to be too low and when
excessive moisture excludes the air
from the soil, cultivation may be of
great service in helping to correct
these unfavorable conditions to plant
growth. In such cases deep culti-
vation may be Of great benefit. even
though considerable injury is done to
the roots of the growing crops.
This does not mean that breaking
the roots of the plants is not an in
jury; but it means that under certain
conditions it may be the lesser evil.
Any breaking of the roots of the
plants is probably an evil, but it may
easily be less injurious TO the crops
than to prolong the injurious effects
of grass and other weeds, or less in
furious than to allow a soil which
has been over-wet and become so
compact as to exclude the air, to re-
main in such condition. On a soil
we'll drained, containing sufficient
humus, and properly prepared by
deep breaking and thorough pulver-
ization, deep cultivation after the
roots have filled the soil is rarely