The Prescott daily news., 1918-09-20
MUST CULTIVATE
 YOUR C0RH FIELD
cultivation Depends Upon Sams principle For Its Effectiveness
nt w osborn, Agronomist College D! Arricnltnre. Fayetteville.

taiued unless tHV 'Vi ,. cultivated. Cultivation practices ;r different localities depending
 n tbe character of the soil, habits moeds to combat, and upon labor
 sit,ona However. good cultivation Sonends upon the same general prlh- ,I,.o for it's effectiveness. EXper- ,'roo of farmers everywhere has ah,vn the value of cultivation ln making corn crops.
 The most important object of cul- tvstion is to get rid of weeds Weeds oompete with the corn plant for both sI.rt food and moisture and practical ,- m grain will be obtained if these srs not removed. Experiment sta t,ors have shown that the elimination o, weeds Is tho biggest reason for cultivation. Aside from this, cultiva- t,on is important to conserve moisture and 10 serate the soil and make plant food available
 when young corn plants are getting started cultivation Is necessary to loosen up the surface on tightly pack cd soils and to pulyerize the surface an clayey soils. which tend 10 crack. This reduces the amount of surface eyaporation and therefore cOnserves moisture At the same time a culti- yated soil Is warm and more favorable 10 early growth of the young corn plants,
 Depth of Cultivation Important.
 The depth of cultivation will natur- ally depend upon the character of the root system of the corn plant Tn" roots of the corn plant extend down ward and laterally and within month are estimated to have lateral expansion of two feet and in two months the spread has a radius of about four feet. The depth of the roots below the surface depends upon the moisture conditions. In a wet season and late in the season when the ground Is shaded the roots are al most al he surface, but ordinarily in tAe growing season they are estimat
 
 inches below the surface In the mid de of the row and somewhat closer to the surface nearer the corn plant Shallow or surface cultivations two or three inches in depth, may be made effective in keeping down weeds and do no appreCiable harm to the roots Of the corn plant. Deep cultivation i3 practicable only when the weeds have made such a start that no other course is possible to get rid of them.
 How and When To Cultivate.
 The best time 10 begin cultivation IS before the crop is planted. This can be done by carefully disking and narrowing well broken seed Led. IT me surface does not become too badly packed a Weeder or harrow can be used to excellent advantage just be- lore the corn comes up, and again af- ter Inc inst two leaves are above ground. Such cultivation is economi- eSI slnce one covers the ground rapid F' The regular cultivations with the 'ofh cuItNator should begin when the p"hl Is about six inches high or e"rIler when the use of a harrow has oeeh lmpracLiCable. When the ground s packed II is practicable to cultivate We young plants fairly deeply with VI. HaIm, but this Is unnecessary u''IeSs the seed bed has not been well t'ep"Ied. All later cultivations should SN""o"' The com field should be 'u'uFa'ed frequently enough to make ,et'ah that weeds do not get a start :. IN d good plan to figure on cultivat. "s once every ten days until tho 0oil IS waist high, or once after every packing rain.
 .h,-' are many types of cultivators .AloH can be used to good advantage m poperiy adjusted Cultivators with .niee or four small shovels to each .s s are to be preferred to large e' aas cultI'ators which have A ten h. " go too deeply Sweeps nf corns 'uz1ard wing type. gopher blades ''ec'ly set, or spring-tooth attach. ms,'s 's are Very satisfactory when ad- to So aS to cut the weeds off one surface. N'' peio" 'he the @ ,w the corn gets too high for "ce. "O,norse Uorse cultivator the onehorse is eT Malz Of the spring-tooth tyne m,l" ''ieh'' Care should be taken to sro certain that none of the teeth near r'TT"eua'inf T too deeply. especially ''' the corn plants
 The When To Lay-sy.
 is slwers '''oh or when to lsy-by corn upon %ES ,S important and will depend son oa N.e character of soil and the sea. kent tn ,a good soils where weeds are