2i8 State Horticultural Society. 



all covered the same depth. On account of the cold wet spring they 

 did not come through the ground for about a month, at which time 

 I ran a deep furrow through the middles with a large shovel plow 

 and in a day or two followed with a springtooth cultivator, going 

 close to the plants. This cultivator — properly named the "Daisy" — 

 is the best implement for general cultivation I have ever used, being 

 easily adjusted to suit any crop, such as SAveet potatoes or strawber- 

 ries. This and a two-horse sulky weeder were the only ones used, 

 going over it at least once a week until the potatoes had begun to 

 grow, the Ohio's being almost large enough to eat. The yield from 

 the two acres of Burbanks was over 300 bushels and one acre of 

 Ohio, 100 bushels. An acre along side the potatoes was planted in 

 Stowel's evergreen corn, preparation and cultivation the same, except 

 the corn was drilled sixteen inches apart, in rows 33^ feet. I sold from 

 this over $40.00 worth of roasting ears and have some left for seed. 

 The balance of field, about seven acres, was planted in Bloody Butcher 

 corn of extra fine seed. Preparation was the same as rest of the field, 

 drilled with two-horse drill in two rows, three feet ten inches apart, 

 sixteen inches in the rows. The same weeder and cultivator were 

 used in the cultivation. I consider the weeder the most efifective 

 because it got in its work in time to kill the little weeds and lightly 

 stir the surface after each rain. The springtooth cultivator stirred 

 deeper, but never more than two inches. When the corn was tassel- 

 ing and shooting, a 14-tooth one-horse harrow was run through it 

 once. This was I think the finest field of corn I ever saw, both in 

 appearance and yield. It is still in the shock and 1 am not able to 

 give the yield. Good judges have estimated it as high as 100 bushels 

 per acre. Now, why did this eleven acres of ground yield such 

 unusually large crops, the proceeds of which in cash at a conserva- 

 tive estimate being $550.00? Aly answer follows: Good ground, 

 made better by being three years in clover, thorough preparation be- 

 fore planting, the best of seed planted in the right time, rain enough 

 to supply needed moisture, shallow^ cultivation enough to prevent its 

 escape and not deep enough to destroy a rootlet. 



Had there been a dry spell in August and September as is often 

 the case the results would have been different. I am persuaded, how- 

 ever, that an ordinary drouth may be in great measure overcome by 

 early deep plowing or subsoiling and working thoroughly to a fine 

 and compact bed, thus forming a reservoir to retain the moisture fur- 

 nished by the spring rains and prevented from escaping by repeated 

 shallow cultivation. I have said nothing about weeds — which it is 



