The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-04-22
FARM NOTES BY
THE COUNTY AGENT

Cultivated plants need three con-
ditiens in the soil in order for them
to thrive. The presence of moisture
ir the right amount; the presence Of
oxygen of the air, and the presence of
the proper temperature. If any one
Of these is totally lacking no plant
can grow, and a deficiency of any one
will cause a poor growth. To main
tain these conditions for the growing
plant is the primary purpose of all
cultivation. If the soil is not stirred
properly and frequently the moisture
escapes, the air is shut out and the
earth fails to warm up.
Cultivation, then, is mainly to pro-
duce the conditions in the soil most
favorable to the growth of the crops
titled and not, as is SO commonly sup
posed, for the purpose of killing
grass. Grass-killing is more an in
cident, or secondary matter. in Gull
tivation than an object. Proper till
age will prevent the growth of grass
and the working of crop simply to
destroy grass should never have to be
done. Of course, in times of con-
tinued rains when the grass gets be-
yond the use of harrows and cultiva-
tors it may be necessary to resort to
the use of plows in way to do the
most damage to the grass. But this
will not occur often with the careful
and painstaking farmer.
| With the right idea as to the pur-
pose of cultivation in mind, it will not
| be difficult to decide what method Oh
working the corn crop is best. If the
land was stirred deeply just previous
tc planting, shallow cultivation should
be the rule with every working. But
if the soil was plowed sometime before
planting, or has become packed by
heavy rains since, the first working
should be deep and done before the
plants develop much of root system
From them on tillage should be shall
low and frequent. To go deep viii
damage the crop by breaking thu
roots and by turning up the soil t.
dry out rapidly. To work the crol
only occasionally will allow the mois
ture to escape by capillary attraction
will permit grass to grow and viii
|
air. Those who have never investi
! gated the root system of the corr
plant can hardly realize how exten
sive it is and how important it is t.
work deep after the crop is up a
much as twelve inches high. AS
rule the roots at all stages of tn
plants growth are longer than tn
stalk is tall, and near maturity tn
whole soil is a complete network o
roots and rootlets. The farmer VIII
uses the turn pillow in the final cult
walton of his corn certainly fails t
. appreciate these facts. His cor
: "fires" and he wonders what the trou
BILE is and why his crop failed to yiel
we'll after promising so much. T
avoid such disappointmepts car
should be used to work the crop nc
to exceed three inches deep after tn
first cultivation and not that deep uI
less the cultivation can be repeate
/. every eight or ten days. Where tn
-. practice is to get over the crop ever
b. two or three weeks the shallowe
depth of two inches is to be preferret
: But for the final working, when tn
!. silks are showing, one inch is safes
i. This, though, is hardly possible wit
!. the implements ordinarily used, but
: certainly will pay to go this depth q
!. nearly as possible.
: Right now is the time to thin
about the second paintings of vegt
. tables in the garden. There is no nee
!. TO let the weeds have the garden whe
the crops now growing have bee
. harvested. Keep up the planting {
/ corn every two or three weeks tt
" June and put in another planting {
beans. okra and peas.
VIM. A. Seasons,
: County, a oopt