Crittenden record-press., 1918-04-18
GROW A BIG CROP
WITH LESS LABOR
federal Specialists Make Sug.
eestions on Eoonsmizing With
Man Power.
INCREASE CORN PRODUCTION
Tractors and Larger Implements VIII
Help Farmsrs--Msehins Harvest.
ere Rather Than Hand Cut.
tiers Are Advisable.

Another big corn crop Is needed.
Last years planting OF I20.oO0,OO0
acres yielded the largest crop ever har-
vcsted-S. l59. .49+ 900 bushels. There
seems 10 be every reason to believe,
In the opinion OF officials OF the Unit.
cd States department OF agriculture.
that our own welfare and that OF the
allies, ns well rs neutral nations. make
desirable an even greater production
of corn In 1918 on an acreage approx.
lmn'ely equal TO that planted In 1917.
Increased production may be accom-.
plished In number Of ways. and In n
recent publication OF the United States
department OF agriculture. "'rhe Agri.
cultural Situation for 1918: Part VIII,
Corn" specialists OF the department
make suggestions regarding better
methods. The more extensive use OF
ilnbor-snying implements will make II
easier this year TO approximate the
record.breaklng acreage OF last year,
especially when employed In sections
where corn is now grown prontnbly
but on more limited scale than Is
desirable. because present methods
require lnrge amount Of man labor.
The more general use OF recently
developed and improved tractors that
are adapted TO the uses OF the small
farm as well as the large farm would
tend 10 increase the acreage and TO
effect saving In labor. The use OF
larger plows. harrows and other instru.
mcnts used In fitting the land would
make II possible TO accomplish more
work per man. Similarly the substitu.
tlon Of two.row planters and two-row
double cultlvntors In place OF smaller
and less efficient implements would
make IL possible 10 do the same
amount Of work with less expenditure
OF labor.
Replant Missing Hills.
In some corn growing sections II Is
the practice 10 rcplnnt missing hills as
soon ms the corn Is up to a stand.
Frequently this Is done by dropping
kernels by hand and covering with n
hoe. A labor.snving and quicker
method would be the use Of small hand
planters. These could be used to nd.
vantage for the first planting also In
sections where comparatively small
areas nre planted and where II Is at
present the custom TO drop the corn
by hand and cover with the hoe.
II Is the practice In some localities
90 plant n much larger number OF
kernels than the number OF stalks
desired and TO thin TO the desired
stand when the corn plants are about
six 10 eight inches tall. This method
may be satisfactory where plenty OF
labor Is available, but where II Is de.
sirable 20 cconomlze labor II would be
advisable TO plant tested seed at about
the same rate as the stand desired and
do no thinning.
A more general use OF efficient har.
ycsting machinery would permit
more economical use Of labor, A corn
hinder with m attachment for elevnt.
ing the bundles of corn Into a wagon
should be used much more extensively
than II is for harvesting cnsilage corn /
There ,s also on the market machine
that converts the corn Into ensllage
In the field, clcvatlng II Into n wagon,
from which II is sucked or lifted Into
the sIlo. The use Of either OF these
machines, especially the latter. would
do AWAY with the necessity OF much
laborlous work.
Work Done by Hand.
A large percentage OF the cutting
md shocking Of corn Is done by hand
labor. In some sections, because OF
unfayornble topography or other
reasons, II Is not practicable to use
machine cutters. However, the greater
pnrt Of the corn that Is now cut by
hnnd labor could be harvested by