144 PRACTICAL CORN CULTURE 



Luray, Mo., April 19, 1913. 

 W. T. Ainsworth & Sons, Mason City, Illinois. 



Dear Sirs: Yours of recent date received in regard to corn raising. 

 I have a light rolling soil which I plow in the spring if it is stalk 

 ground. I think spring plowing will produce a bigger crop than fall 

 plowing, since the ground does not run together badly. Since this is 

 a shallow soil I generally plow about four inches deep. I never burn 

 stalks when corn follows corn, but drag them down and plow them 

 under, since they prevent the soil from washing on rolling land and 

 help to keep up the fertility. I use split log drags and tooth harrows 

 for working the ground down after plowing. I plow all the ground 

 that I plant to corn before planting any, usually drag or harrow the 

 ground twice before planting, and then harrow after planting before 

 it comes up. I never harrow corn after it is up. The corn is usually 

 three or four inches tall when I cultivate it the first time. I use 

 six-shovel cultivators and I consider them the best, all things considered. 

 I cultivate three times and the corn is usually from two to three feet 

 tall when I lay it by. Yours truly, 



A. L. PORTEE. 



Kentland, Indiana, April 12th, 1913. 

 W. T. Ainsworth & Sons, Mason City, Illinois. 



Gentlemen: The soil in this community is a black loam, with just 

 a little sand. It is nearly level, and well drained. 



I generally plow my oats stubble in the fall. I try to plow be- 

 tween seven and eight inches, and not lay the furrows too flat, as this 

 ground has a tendency to run together. I like early plowing as it is 

 generally dry and plows up lumpy, so that when the time comes to 

 prepare it for corn, it is mellow, and works up fine. 



In the spring as soon as the oats are sowed I take the spreader 

 and top dress all the spots that I know to be thin. As soon as the 

 manure is spread, I start my solid-wheel disc, generally crosswise, the 

 way it was plowed. Just as soon as I get it disced once, I change 

 to the spader and go the long way, and follow with the harrow. This 

 puts the ground in fine shape, if we have an average season, but I 

 found it necessary to disc my ground four times last year, and I am 

 sure it paid. I generally follow about a day being the harrow with my 

 corn planter. This gives the top of the ground time to dry off, and 

 you don't have to use scrapers on your planter. I aim to plant two 



