The Nevada County picayune., 1922-02-23
Suggestions About Corn Growing
 by E. J. Watson Agricultural Agent Prescott & North western Railroad.


 We are surprised to learn of the number of farmers now buying corn. Of course, corn has been a cheap ar ticle of late, but the price is advanc ing, and before fall may go much higher than now expected. The corn growers of the West and other corn growing states are getting together and considering the matter of acreage reduction for this year. They may do this, and, in that event, the price will le still higher one year hence.
 We believe that if any farmer in ihis part of Arkansas fails to make sufficient corn for his needs. it can be set down to his own negligence or indifference as farmer, with the eN- cepti ion, of course, when extremely un favorable conditions interfere.
 The writer has not given as much attention to corn culture as he has to some other crops, but, he has had the
 
 years of close study and application. We are not posing as a corn expert, but there are some general principles applicable to all conditions that we would like to call attention to in this article. These principles are just as applicable to the growing of other crops as corn.
 i. Good seed First of all. is the matter of good seed We cannot pro duce a satisfactory crop of grain. or fruit. unless we have seed of the right quality, seed pure as to type, healthy and from d productive strain of parent age Most of the corn now grown in 1 this section of Arkansas is a hodge podge mixture. descended from mon grel stock. We should first get rid of l this for seed purposes and secure q strain, or type. of pure seed. We should then keep this pure and i'm prove it by selecton-ficld selection before harvest. Each community, or better. the entire section. should have l a uniform variety of corn for general crop purposes. This is advantageous in many ways, especially when we wish to market ear of corn Then too. no type or variety can be kept pure where number of kinds are grown in the same community.
 9 Soil and preparation. We should not attempt to grow corn on our poor est soils. It will not pay, and can result only in unfilled barns and lean stock. Our corn crop should ge given the best land we have on the farm. as our plan should be always to make as large yield to the acre as possible, thereby reducing the number of acres in corn necessary to supply our needs, The preparation of the seed bed for precede the planting of the crop by at least thirty days, and longer, if possible, or practicable. This means deep breaking of ground and harrow ing at this season of the year if it was not performed late last fall. The harrow should he run over the land again, and the top soil thoroughly pulverized just previous to planting,
 2. Planting. etc The date of plant ing corn in this section is matter of importance when it comes to realizing q profitable yield. In all sections of the south, early planting of corn k essential to the largest degree of sue cess In Arkansas this will mean from
 the last few days of March up to the 10th of April whenever weather con ditions permit It will not hurt corn to he bit down once or twice by Il light frost In fact. it may he con sidered an advantage, where tondi tions are not too severe Early planted corn grows off slowly in the spring time, but, all the while, it is making n deep root system which is SO eS- sential later on. Early planted corn must always be on well drained land of loamy texture If is best to plant in furrow made five of six inches deep. and if plenty of seed are used, q stand should never be difficult to secure. This starts the corn plant below the surface of the ground. per