The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1921-05-04
JUDICIOUS CUL-
TIVATION OF CORN
MAKES Big YIELD
Thorough Early Flowing
Keeps Corn Growing, Kills
Weeds, and Prevents Soil
From Crusting.

From the time of termination to
maturity corn should be given every
opportunity to make a steady, sound
growth. If the development of the
plants is checked from any cause il
may reduce the yield no matter how
favorable the later treatment The
most successful corn growers realize
the importance of thorough, early
cultivation in order to prevent any
check in the growth of the plants
because of weeds or crusted soil. AS
consequence of heavy rainfall, the
stalks may increase rapidly in height
and at the same time, for lack of
cultivation or of soil fertility or for
other reason, they may be slender
too tender or of poor color. Thrifty
corn plants are thick, strong, and
of dark-green color.
Use Weeder Soon After Planting.
Horse weeders and harrows should
be used when needed to break sur
face crust, check insect depredations
or kill young weeds that start before
the corn is up. While the plant is very
small, narrow shovels hat throw the
soil but very little should he used,
and tenders are usually desirable to
prevent covering the plants.
Experience favors shallow cultiva-
ton, except if excessive rains have
packed the soil, when deep cultiva-
ton will help to dry and aerate the
ground. In cultivating it is important
to avoid breaking the roots of the
plants. If the plants have reached
height of . or feet the soil in the
middle of the rows should not be
cultivated deeper than inches and
sometimes less. For retaining soil
moisture loose soil mulch 2 or
inches in depth should be maintained
The question is frequently asked
how often corn should be cultivated
The answer is that it should be cult
waited often enough to keep down
weeds and to maintain constantly a
loose soil mulch until the corn has
attained its growth. A greater number
of civilizations will be necessary when
rains at intervals of about a week
cause the surface soil to run together
and crust. This crust must be broken
and the soil mulch restored, or eva
porated will soon rob the soil OF
much of its moisture An essential
object of cultivation is to restore
the soil mulch as soon after a rain
as the condition of the ground will
permit If the ground becomes hard
and baked dry the crop will suffer
greatly and when cultivated the dirt
will break up into clods.
Many crops are cut short by stop
nj the c,,1t,uat,p haranca tho corn
is too tall for use of a two-horse
demands it, shallow cultivation should
continue, even though the corn is
Blocks nailed to the hand
les will protect the hands from the
corn blades. Iron mowing-machine
wheels dragged between the rows will
sometimes greatly benefit the crop.
With good riding or walking
double cultivator one man can culti-
vate as many acres as two men with
one-horse cultivators. This saving
of labor is worth consideration. With
a properly constructed wheeled cult
vator, covering two rows at time.
one man has often cultivated Is acres
per day.
The shovels with which it is best
to equip either single or double cul-
tivators must be determined by the
kind of soil, the size of the corn, and
size and nature of growth of weeds
to be destroyed. For sandy land
sweeps are in great favor, and vary
from to 30 inches in width. The
sweep scrapes along through the soil
at depth of 2 to inches, cutting
off weeds and allowing surface soil
70 pass over them falling level and
Hat behind the cultivator.
All forms of shovels should be so
adjusted that they loosen the soil and
make a fine and even covering for
he harder soil beneath Almost all
styles of double cultivators are made
,ither with handles as a walking cul-
ivator or with a seat as a riding
,ultivator. The latest forms of riding
,ultivators are easily and readily man
pulated and do good work