Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1920-07-21
ABOUT CULTIVATING CORN
Killing Weeds and Grass Is the Big Job.
Dust Mulch no Real Benefit

are not tne only people VINO are
springing surprises these days. The
The agricultural scientist is coming
in for his share of surprises for the
farmer.
Recently Prof. C. A. Moores, Ag.
economist at the State Experimental
Station, Knoxville, comes out with
an article that is truly startling in
the face of wha has been tough for
some years relative to the cultiva-
tion of corn.
Prof. Moores is admittedly the
most able agriculturist in the south
and has few if any superiors in the
whole United States. Hence, when
he speaks positively relative to cer-
tain farming method, farmers will
do well to take heed. But we will
let Prof. Moores tell the story; he
says:
"The writer has for six or eight
years, conducted experiments in var
ious parts of Tennessee, making use
of numerous kinds of soil, and to his
surprise has found little or no diff
erence in the yield of corn as OBJ
tained from widely different methods
of cultivation, provided the weeds
were not allowed to grow.
"The experiments were made un-
der as fair conditions as possible.
All the plots were plowed and pre-
pored alike, the seed was alike and
was planted at the same time in the
same manner. The one variation
was the method of cultivation. The
usual plan was as follows:
zone plot uncultivated, but weeds
strapped off with hoe.
Zone plot cultivated deep at first
workins. with shallow 7cultivator
thereafter.
Zone plot cultivated deep (wlth
double-shoveD throughout.
"One plot cultivated shallow
throughout.
s'This set was then repeated to in
sure greater reliability of the find
ings, .,4
''At the outset the fr1ter thought
that Tennessee soils might react diff
erentfy from those of the corn belt.
After several seasons trials, howev-
er, with practically the same yields
from cene method of cultivation as
from another, the attempt w23 made
to finu a soil type which was an eX-
ception, but to the present t''1e none
has been found.
"The writer can hear some reader
say, "That may be all tight on
materially loose soil, but have one
that runs together and btkes so that
at least one working is necessary ana
to getthe best yield where The weeds
are only scraped off and not even
shallow cultivation given, Il out OF
the question" The intere sting thing
is that soils spoken Of IL this way
have been used in all sections of the
State. 'srowar dthe close Of the sea
son the writer has repeatedly asked
visitors to examine the plcts and tell
which haN been cultivated and which
not, but none were able TO do SO,
either from difference in growth or
in the appearance of the soil. /
"Perhaps a word as to why OF
the results may be of intt rest In
the first place, the value OF the dust
mulch. to 9revent loss Of moisture,
was overrated. In fact it was found
at the Kansas station that there was
nract tically the same amount ct moss
ture in the soil under the one condl-
tion as the other. A consideration
which has appealed to the writer is
that where the dust mulch is maln-
tained the roots of thee orn plant
are prevented from coming. as near
TO the surface as they would ether
wise. A light shower, say, OF a
1uarter of an iDeh scarcely reaches
heir roots. On the other hand
where the weeds ere only scraped or
he roots coming nearly, or quite,
o the surface can readily utilize it.
In conslusion the writer wishes to 6
,e understood as net favorlng Deep
ultjyation wit hexcessive root prun-1
no. Also he would not know how,
n field practice, to cultivate corn
economically by only scraping OH
he weeds. He will say this, howev- {
- that had he a field from weeds t.
nd grass seeds had been eradlcated'
e would prepare his land PRIOR TO
eeding, and, with the proper stand
,cured, he would give no cultlva- ar
on and feel assured that his crop W,
ould be as good as that obtained h
ere he to maintain the most ap- m,
royed dust mulch possible" to
Since Prof. Moores admits that he
,ows of no way to keep down the a.
eeds and grass except by cultlva- III
on. when it comes to the field crop, no
|, evidently intends the farmer to ito
'aw a lesson from the idea of bet ly,
r preparation of the soil before Err
snting, or as the agriculturist usu- 40,