CHAPTER IV 

 CULTIVATION 



We are still old-fashioned enough to believe that the chief 

 object in cultivating corn is to destroy and prevent the growth 

 of weeds. A good crop of weeds and a good crop of corn 

 are never grown on the same land. Weeds not only feed on 

 the food the corn should have, but they will pump off the 

 needed moisture in time of drouth and interfere with the 

 economical handling of the crop at harvest. 



Next to destroying weeds, the object of cultivation should 

 be to conserve the moisture by stirring the soil at frequent 

 intervals in order to secure a mulch. 



Besides killing weeds and conserving moisture the culti- 

 vator should aerate, warm, and loosen the soil to allow the 

 roots to extend into the ground. There are a number of good 

 methods of cultivating corn. Any culture that keeps the 

 fields clean of weeds and at the same time does it without 

 pruning the corn roots may be considered a good method, 

 although perhaps not so economical and efficient as some 

 others. 



HARROWING AND ROLLING 



Harrowing corn kills millions of weeds when they are 

 most easily killed, before they are up. It prevents the for- 

 mation of a crust and, most important of all, it goes over a 

 larger area in a short space of time. If a hard rain comes 

 before the corn is up we harrow all that we have planted 

 as soon as conditions will permit us to get on the field. We 

 do this harrowing whether we are through planting or not. 



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