The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-03-14
IF YOU HAVE SOME ROUGH HILLSIDE LAND TRY SHEEP
Wade's Letter

We have had two weeks of warm
and dry weather during which many
farmers have been busily engaged in
preparing the soil for another crop.
Soil PREPARATION is laying a foundation
for crop. If you are to have good
crop, it must have a good foundation
properly prepared. We notice many
fields that have been plowed too wet
and allowed to bake, thus breaking
up in heavy clods which always pre-
vents the proper termination of seed,
resulting in poor stands, slow growth,
difficult cultivation and poor yields
i. is sometimes necessary for lack or
time and the right kind of weather to
break some soils before they are suf-
ficiently dry. This is not necessarily
so Injurious If the soil is disced or
narrowed and thoroughly pulverized
before 1t has an opportunity to bake
and become cloddy. All soils should
be plowed and thoroughly pulyerized
while fresh and then exposed to the
air and sunshine and allowed to set
tie for a few days or few weeks.
1t should be narrowed either with a
disc or drag harrow after every rain
to keep the surface pulverized or
mulched before planting. This applies
to all cultivated crops and more es-
pecially to corn. 1t makes a crop more
easily cultivated, increases the yield
and Is every other way advantageous.
Many farmers get into hurry 10
plant their upland corn in March, and
in order to do so are contented with
too poor a preparation. 1t Is alright
to plant good dry upland in March
unless the preparation is neglected in
order to do SO. Corn may be planted
on upland any time in April and l
would prefer it rather than sacrifice
on the preparation.
Good dry upland should be thorough
ly broken broadcast and If thoroughly
pulverized 1t may be ridged by two
burrows with a turning plow and the
balk swept out, allowing most of the
soil to fall back, forming a loose
mulch. The corn should be planted in
this mulch commonly called the water
furrow. AS the corn grows the ridge
in the center should be gradually
worked to the corn. The fertilizer
should be applied at the time of plant
Ing or working around the corn about
the second cultivation. When corr,
shows a prospective yield of 20 BUSH
els per acre or more, a top dressing
of about so pounds of nitrate of soda
per acre will be found profitable.
Corn on low lands and bottoms
should not be planted until May. SO as
to escape the damage from bud worms
the acid condition to be improved by
dry warm weather To hasten this con-
dition, it should be plowed as early
as possible and be replowed and har-
rowed two or three times to keep down
vegetation and to aid in improving
its mechanical condition. Good surface
drainage should be supplied by ditch
ing SO as to take care of all surface
water. Plant in water burrows the
same as on upland unless the soil con-
tians too much water, in which event
planting level or on bed is advis-
able. Planting corn on uplands and
bottoms just as thick as. in your judg-
ment, the soil, fertilizer which you
intend to apply, and your method of
cultivation will grow and mature good
ccrn. OF course, this we'll vary and you
are to be the judge, keeping in mind
the probability of deficiency in mois-
ture in extremely dry weather
j. A. WADE,
Commissioner of Agriculture and In
dustries.