West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-06-08
CHAPTER WI.
intensive Corn Cultivation.


ION knew the time for action
had arrived He hitched a
horse to the single wagon and
49, drove TO town Mr. SomerviIle
was not at the store, bat Joe did not
wait for him.
Give me two 100 pound sacks OF fer
dlizer and two 1O0-pound sacks OF nj
trate OF soda" he ordered.
Paying with a check-S3 for the fer
tilIzer and s. for the nitrate-he start
ed for home as soon as the stuff was
loaded into the wagon.
Opening a sack OF fertilizer In the
Held, he filled bucket with the yel-
Sowtsh, pOwdery stuff-a combination
OF cottonseed meal, acid phosphate,
phospboric acid, kainite and other in
grsdients. For distance Of about
fourteen inches around each hill OF
corn, he sprinkled a generous quantity
Two good handfuls.
R1nishing the first row, with hts hoe
he chopped the fertilizer lightly into
the son, then pulled all that dirt and
some from the middle OF the rows to-
ward the cornstalks, where Il lay.
Light porous mound, easy for the root
lets 20 penetrate, and charged with all
The elements necessary 20 mako the
corn DO its level beet
he was four days doing II, and when
he finished the last row In the prize
acre he examined the root stems OF the
FIRST row. They had grown almost half
an inch and were nearly touching the
dirt he had pulled toward them.
He discovered another function these
above ground roots possessed. The
broad leaves Of the corn would catch
the heavy dew each night or some
slight shower and the moisture would
condens9 and roll down the broad
leaves until II reached the main stalk:
then Il would trickle down the stem
until Il reached this circle OF roots.
then down them % the soil in a perfect
circle Of moisture about the plant 20
assist ia IS growth.
Joe Was well tired out when he got
through fixing the corn and hired LINK
% pioW out the Mexican June corn.
gfpe the cofton . dose Of fertilizer and
throw some more dirt toward e and %
assist IN cutting on a lot Of sweet DO
cato vines, which were hauled 20 the
GIG iOt % give Nike and John l.. some
green food. The rest OF The vines were
thrown back without cutting on TOP Of
their rows and final blowing and hnL
Ing given tho potatoes
In about a week the tiny ears Of corn
on the stalks "a the prize acre begau %
snow. The additional roots wsre now
striking into the fertilizer. One could
Utmost ee8 tho corn growing, and on a
sfin, quiet night person could actual.
y hear e. a faint, gentle whispering
rustic as the leaves gradually unfolded
Here and there the tassels began %
show, and the pink and white silk Of
The young ears was growing longer.
The time % uso tho nitrate Of soda
bod arrived, and 70 was applied pre-
cieely az The fertilizer bad been, exert
nat Joe took a rake and merely abrad-
81 the crust Of ground on the hills 90
ne nitrate cOuld DO absorbed more rap
tdiy. in addition this working would
not Tear and break natures arrange.
ment ~ -Ootletg az "a deep blowing or
hocing would DO. -Four days after the
nitrnte was applied tho Geld was in fun
faesoI
90 admired no beautiful usnk ak
rn TIE ends o. no corn aara greatly.
One DAY he was iooking a. faaaoi on
top II nc stalk when one OF the MANI
pneJnces scrambling busny around
ef"s ana TIE motion aud or from the