The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1917-06-08
pROPERCULTNAT|ON
MOST IMPORTANT
ONE THOUSAND YOUNG CORN
GROWERS RESPOND TO
PRESIDENTS CALL.
WILL LEAD IN PRODUCTION
County Agents Instruct In Preserving
The Moisture and Securing
Plant Food.

College Park, June lover 1000
boys enrolled in the boys agricultural
clubs of Maryland are engaged in
growing corn in response to the call
of President Wilson for every farmer
and farmers son to do his part in
keeping up the food production OF
this country. During the month OF
May each boy received a letter from
his County Demonstration Agent urg-
ing him to do his utmost in increasing
the crops planted on his own acre
and on his fathers farm. He was
shown that he was doing as patriotic
a service for his country as any man
enlisted in the army or navy and was
made to realize that every bushel OF
corn or potatoes grown or farm AMI
NAL raised to maturity helped that
much more to bring the war to sue
cessful close. He was particularly
urged to cultivate his crop carefully,
keeping out the weeds and keeping
in the moisture. He was encouraged
to study carefully the instructions
prepared by w. B. Kemp, farm crop
specialist for the Maryland Agricul-
tural Extension Service, in which Mr..
Kemp says:
: "The main purposes of cultivation
are to kill weeds, and to check evap-
Grafton of moisture. The same snail
low, thorough stirring of the surface
soil that is helpful for one is also
helpful for the other. If soil Is stit1
and has been beaten together by
heavy rain shortly after planting, one
deep cultivation soon after the corn
comes up may be justified, but under
ordinary conditions this ground should
never be worked to a depth greater
than a couple of inches. This cultl-
walton can be accomplished best with
an implement having many small
teeth. The old double-shovel pillow
has no place in corn-field' and where
a one-horse cdltivator is used the five
shovel implement is now giving way
to one with more and smaller teeth.
Frequency of Cultivation.
GAS nearly as possible the soil sur
face ought to be kept broken up into
loose mulch Rain destroys this
mulch and with drying a crust is
formed on the surface. Rain also
hastens sprouting of grass and other
weed seeds that are near the top OF
the ground. These can be more easily
killed Just after sprouting than at any
other time Therefore, the main pur-
poses of cultivation can be accom-
plished only by working the corn-held
as quickly after each rain as the soil
will permit.
When To Stop.
1.-THE experience of successful farm
ers as well as the results of careful
experiments show that larger crops
may be secured if this frequent shall
low cultivation is continued as long
as you can get through the corn with
out much injury resulting. At times
a heavy wind with rain will blow
down many of the stalks 80 that a
horse can no longer go between the
rows. At other times a period OF
wet weather in July will
prevent cultivation until tiny feeding
roots have filed the soil to its sur
face. If this occurs at such time
that only one later cultivation can be
given, and if no weeds are present
then it is doubtful if cultivation with
its attendant breaking of these roots
will be justified. Otherwise continue
TO work the corn until tassels are
showing and silks have begun to ap
pear"