THE CULTURE OF CORN 161 
the soil was broken until the corn is in silk. An exam- 
ination of the field during the growing season from the 
second cultivation to the “laying-by” time will show 
these feeding roots occupying the entire soil between 
the rows of corn. 
When the corn reaches its silking stage these roots 
will appear in great quantities. They are searching for 
food and moisture to complete the growth of the corn 
plant; hence the necessity of their protection and con- 
serving the moisture for their use. 
No weeds must be allowed to grow, as they rob the 
corn roots of food and moisture needed for the corn 
plant. Cultivation must be kept up as long as possible, 
so that the soil moisture may be maintained until the 
corn plant has stored sufficient food to mature its ears 
of corn. 
My most successful method of corn culture is to first 
run the harrow or weeder over the corn a few days after 
planting and before the corn has come through the soil. 
One good harrowing with the harrow or weeder before 
the corn is up. does more good than two or three plow- 
ings as it kills all sprouting weeds and stirs all portions 
of the soil. In fact a weeder can be used to great ad- 
vantage in cultivating corn from the time it is planted 
until it reaches a height of several inches, running over 
the corn several times during that period. 
The author knows of a farmer who uses the weeder on 
his corn from the time it is planted until it is knee high, 
going over his corn as many as five or six times during 
that period. 
When the farmer was first noticed doing this he was 
