The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-03-23
CORN GROWING IN EASTERN KEN.
TUCKY

am writing you this in order TO
give YOU some suggestions in corn
growing which am sure VIII De
helpful TO you.
Corn is the chief crop in the great
or part OF the United States. II is
grown TO some extent in every state,
and in the Corn Belt" IL is grown as
n "money crop" In Eastern Ken
lucky more acres are planted 10 corn
than 20 all other crops combined. so
II is our chief crop also.
A large percent Of the corn used IN
this entire section OF Kentucky is
shipped in from the outside. In
some seasons thousands OF bushels OF
corn are shipped in and sold TO farm
ers for feed. The farmers who buy
this corn must, Of course, earn the
money 10 pay for il by working at
something other than farming. In
the past there has been plenty OF
work, such as hauling lumber and
cross-ties, logging, digging coal, etc.
Nv such work il has been possible
70 earn something with which TO
buy feed which was not produced on
the farm.
Tn most counties there is not now
so much OF such work as there was
a few years ago. The timber has
been worked up rapidly so that most
of the good timber is gone. In few
more years il will be impossible TO
have a ready means Of earning mon
ey at public works. When that time
comes it will be necessary for the
farmer TO produce on the farm
everything the family needs. For
this reason, and because as the pop
ulation increases the farms must be-
come smaller, it is necessary that
farmers and their sons should learn
10 grow more on each acre than
they have been growing. This must
be one of the aims Of Boys'Corn Club
members, and of farmers who are
trying TO do better farming.
Another object of improved farm
ing is to grow crops at a lower cost
per bushel than they are usually
grown. Suppose that, counting the
work which farmers usually do on
their crops, it cost $1,000 to grow an
acre of corn. II the yield is 5 bush
els Of "nubbins" the cost per bushel
is $500. Even il the yield is 10
bushels Of good corn, the cost per
bushel is 500, which is something
over the average price Of corn. II
by increasing the cost $1,000 per
acre a farmer can grow 40 bushels
of corn on an acre, the cost per bush
ell is only 50 cents. That this can be
done in Eastern Kentucky, even on
ordinary ground, has been proven
over and over again. The secret OF
success in this matter is to plant
fewer acres and give them better
cultivation. A farmer will never
improve his corn yield so long as he
plants three times as much as he has
teams and tools to cultivate properly.
IL will not be necessary in most
cases for the farmer or club member
TO spend much money. Most Of the
extra cost should be in better work.
The suggestions given below will be
helpful, though they will not apply
10 every case alike.
Selecting and Improving Land
In choosing the land for corn avoid
steep land, because anything put on
il for Improvement will be easily
lost by washing. On the other hand,
do not select land that is inclined to
be wet. Nothing but weeds will
grow on wet land. The steep land
should be put down to permanent
pasture; the wet land should be
drained. Since most sandy land has
very little decaying vegetable mat
ter, il will be necessary to do some
thing to increase the supply. This
decaying vegetable matter is called
HUMUS. IL is a necessary part of
a good soil for two reasons: II holds
much water, and as il decays it fur
nishes food for the plant. Humus
may be supplied in several ways:
1. BY blowing under green crops.
?. BY applying manures.
3. BY blowing under straw, or
leaves and trash gathered from the
woods.
Since there is plenty OF woodland
on most farms in Eastern Kentucky,
a good way TO start improving the
soil will be by hauling leaves and
trash from the woods, and using
these for bedding the stables during
the winter. II this is done the sup
ply Of manure will be increased
many fold. This extra supply Of ma
nure should be kept in the stable il
possible. and when removed should
be put.On the land and plowed under
as soon az nOsSihla IL ia must ha