EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 449 



PREPARING CORN LAND 



Fall ploiving or early spring ploiving to a depth of 7 inches or more, 

 is the best beginning for a good seed bed for corn. Frequently the gain 

 in crop yields resulting from early and deep plowing in fall or early 

 spring, as compared to late spring plowing, is sufficient to more than 

 offset the entire cost of plowing. Moisture is retained, the seed bed 

 settles firmly, and insects are largely controlled when land is plowed 

 in the fall. 



Fall plowed land should be allowed to go through the winter in the 

 rough, that is, as turned. In this shape it catches and holds snow and 

 absorbs rain. As soon as in condition to be worked, fitting with disc, 

 harrow or spring tooth should begin in the spring. Early spring plowing 

 should be followed by roller and harrow. 



The thorough fitting of the seed bed for corn saves labor in later 

 cultivations, as well as increasing the yield. At intervals of ten days 

 or two weeks either fall or spring plowed land should be harrowed or 

 disced thoroughly, beginning as soon as ground can be worked in the 

 spring. When fitting the seed bed weeds can be most economically con- 

 trolled, and a great saving accomplished in the time and expense neces- 

 sary in controlling weeds after planting the crop. Harrowing and disc- 

 ing before planting are much less costly methods of weed control than 

 cultivating between the rows, and in these times of high labor-cost, 

 thorough preparation before planting is an important step towards 

 economy of production. 



It is usual to plant 'corn after sod, applying manure before plowing. 

 Sod land is generally more easil}^ prepared in the fall and early spring. 

 The early plowing gives time for the thorough incorporation of sod and 

 manure with the soil. Corn planted on land prepared late in the spring 

 is much more liable to injury from drought, insects, and weeds. 



When it is necessary to plow late in the spring for corn, the ground 

 should be very thoroughly rolled to compact firmly. The rolling should 

 be followed by thorough and frequent discing and harrowing. 



A good seed bed for corn should be well settled at the bottom of the 

 furrow slice and as approaching the condition known as "garden tilth" 

 as nearly as possible at the surface. 



FERTILIZING THE CORN CROP 



Corn makes excellent use of manure. Applications previous to plow- 

 ing or when fitting the land of 6 to 8 tons of manure are followed by 

 a marked increase in yield. The use of acid phosphate, or a fertilizer 

 high in phosphorus, in connection with manure, results in further in- 

 creasing the yield and noticeably hastens maturity. The application 

 of 200 to 300 lbs. of acid phosphate or of a commercial fertilizer high 

 in phosphorus, is recommended. 



On light or badly run land, a complete fertilizer such as a 2-10-2 or 

 a 2-8-2, carrying nitrogen, ])hosphorus, and potash may give good re- 

 turns. 



On muck soils fertilizers higli in potash and phosphorus are necessary 

 for continued success with corn. 

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