CORN LETTERS FROM THIRTY FARMERS 155 



when the furrow slice is turned over, capillarity, which was destroyed 

 when the furrow was turned, is quickly re-established, since the dirt 

 on the sub-surface is pulverized and not cloddy. As soon as the ground 

 is plowed it is harrowed. This forms a dust mulch, and prevents the 

 moisture in the ground from escaping. We harrow the plowed ground 

 after each rain, as soon as it will do to get in the fields. By doing 

 this the moisture is conserved, and no crust is allowed to form up 

 to planting time. 



Our spring plowing is from six to eight inches deep. We plow 

 ten inches deep in the fall, and aim to turn all our new ground at this 

 season of the year. Freezing and thawing during the winter months, 

 followed by early spring discing, puts this deep plowing in ideal shape. 



We are cranks on conserving moisture and our efforts along these 

 lines bring us big returns in the fall when we husk our corn. Gentle- 

 men, the farmer can not take too much time in the preparation of the 

 seed bed for corn. Of all the grain crops grown, corn is the one that 

 responds the quickest to thorough preparation before putting the seed 

 in the ground. We believe that a forty-acre field, properly prepared, 

 will grow as many bushels as eight acres plowed only three or four 

 inches deep, and left to dry out until planting time. Practice thorough 

 cultivation and plant pure bred seed corn, and you will be well paid for 

 your time and money spent. 



As soon as the seed bed is as good as we can make it, we start 

 planting. We check three feet six inches each way, and plant from 

 one to one and one-half inches deep. The field is harrowed as soon as 

 planted in order to kill the small weeds and sprouted weed seeds. We 

 do not feel justified in harrowing after the corn is up, since the harrow 

 teeth break off and cover too many hills. Since we only plant two 

 kernels to the hill, it is necessary that they should all grow. 



We start cultivating rather deep when the corn is from four to six 

 inches high, and make every effort to kill all the weeds at this plow- 

 ing. The second cultivation is not so deep, since by this time the 

 corn-root system has extended in all directions. 



When we ' ' lay the corn by " we throw up a small ridge, but are 

 very careful not to cut many roots. During the first three cultiva- 

 tions we use four-shovel plows. For a fourth cultivation we use an 

 old mower wheel and run it between the rows. This conserves the 

 moisture, and helps in getting a larger yield. 



We think the shovel cultivators are the best all-around cultivators 

 you can get. At the same time surface cultivators are coming into 



