160 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



THE ROOTS OF CORN AND POTATOES. 



Nature ihas provided plants with a system of roots for tlieir support and develop- 

 ment, and if these roots are disturbed or destroyed the plant must suffer in conse- 

 quence, thereby decreasing lits productiveness. I traced the roots of a young 

 plant of corn, the longest leaf of which was twenty-four inches, and found the 

 main root thirty-two inches long. The roots started from the plant one and one- 

 half inches below the surface, and undulated through the soil two, three, four, 

 and at no place more than five inches below the surface. I found the roots of a 

 plant of potatoes eight Inches high to be twenty-four inches long, penetrating 

 about the same depth as the corn roots. Beans have a root system quite similar 

 to corn and potatoes. 



You see by this that if the cultivator runs more than two inches deep it will 

 sever the roots and weaken the plant. Potatoes not only have to contend with 

 the teeth of the cultivator, but when large enough, have to be tortured by the cruel 

 shovel plow, breaking their roots, and making a drain on each side of the row to 

 let the sun and air dry them out and lessen the crop. 



That there is more in this than appears at first glance, let me show you: The loss 

 per acre by deep cultivation I estimate by my experience and observation, to be, 

 in corn, from twenty to forty bushels of ears per acre, and in potatoes thirty to 

 fifty bushels per acre. The loss to the farmers in my township in the year 1888, 

 taking the lowest estimate, at the average price for the year was $7,353.90. No 

 beans were grown here at that time. But the relative loss is as great as with corn 

 and potatoes. 



Having shown the evils of deep culture. I will give my method and tell of imple- 

 ments used. The ordinary five-toothed cultivator, as used by the majority of farm- 

 ers, is not the proper implement to use. from the fact that it must run too deep in 

 order to do any work, will miss nearly all straight-rooted perennial weeds, and 

 requires to go twice In a row. 



THE PROPER METHOD OF CULTIVATION. 



Immediately after the corn is planted, go over the field with the weeder. Then 

 as soon as corn is up and leaves opened out. go over again with weeder. Then 

 use harrow and weeder in conjunction with one-horse cultivator, rigged with sweep 

 teeth. A good set for corn Is two twelve-inch and one fifteen-inch sweep. This 

 will cut all space between rows three and one-.half feet apart, and take every 

 thistle and milk weed before it. Set wheel under frame so that teeth will run one 

 and a half or two inches deep. For potatoes, use harrow twice or more before 

 they come up: then use harrow till lit injures the plants; then use weeder and 

 cultivator, rigged as for corn, using smaller sweeps and leave level. For beans 

 use weeder immediately after planting; then as soon as the plants have straight- 

 ened up and the leaves opened out. use weeder and cultivator, rigged with two 

 six-inch hoes and one eight-inch sweep or soiiTe combination of hoes and sweep 

 that will fill space between the rows. 



The reasons for cultivating the crops in this way are to destroy weeds, to con- 

 serve the moisture by a dust mulch, to save labor, to increase the crop, and pre- 

 serve the roots — remembering that at no stage of the growth of the plant can you 

 cultivate deep without injuring it. 



FARMING ON SANDY SOILS. 

 E. W. CHASE, Bently. at GLADWIN COUNTY Institute, G'aclwin.- 



By the request of our worthy secretary I consented to again stand before this 

 honorable body as the exponent and advocate of the just merits of what are termed 

 ligiht or sandy soils. And by doing so I labor under a great deal of embarrassment 

 on account of untimely frosts that completely ruined my corn, potatoes, beans and 

 vegetables, in so much that from eight acres of corn, one acre of potatoes, and one 

 acre of beans I did not realize my seed, and for this reason I can make no exhibit. 



Up to the night of the 10th of July my crops looked fine and would compare 

 favorably with any in the county, and I justly expected to bring an exhibit at this 

 time that would vindicate my claim, namely, that those soils if properly treated 



