142 PRODUCTIVE FARMING 



or check-row plan gives the greatest yields of ear corn. These 

 are not real hills, as corn should not be hilled up. There are 

 good local varieties in different sections. These usually prove 

 better for the locality than any other from a distance. 



Tillage. — ^As soon as the seed is planted we can use the 

 smoothing harrow and continue to use it after each heavy 

 rain as soon as the soil loses its sticky character. Have no 

 fear of injuring the Httle corn plants except in the early morn- 

 ing when the plants are too full of moisture, or in very stony 

 fields. If this system of harrowing the corn after it is up is 

 followed, there will be very few weeds to be seen in the field. 

 It is much faster work to harrow the field, taking several rows 

 at a time, than it is to use the cultivator, one row at a time. 



When the corn is high enough so the cross-bars of the 

 harrow tend to break off the plants, use a weeder or a fine- 

 toothed cultivator a number of times to keep a fine soil- 

 mulch on the field. If the weather conditions should be such 

 as to keep the cultivator out of the field too long at a time, 

 the ground will form a crust. Then it will be necessary to 

 make the cultivator teeth go deep enough to break up and 

 pulverize the crust. But when no crust is formed always 

 keep the shovels or teeth quite shallow (Fig. 78). 



Harvesting Seed Corn. — It pays the farmer well to select 

 his own seed corn. This is best done in the fall, just before 

 frost and before harvesting the main crop. Such ears are 

 selected as have the characters described in the rules given, 

 pages 133-137. Pick out the ones that are most mature; 

 they will be hanging downward. Take them from stalks 

 which bear two or more good ears. 



Storing Seed Corn. — ^As soon as the ears are selected and 

 gathered the husks should be entirely removed from them. 

 Store the ears where the moisture will dry out well before 

 winter, and where mice will not attack them. A good way is 

 to tie the ears with cord in such a way that they will not touch 

 each other and suspend each lot from a hook in the ceiling 



