76 ELEMENTS OF FARM PRACTICE 



below the surface all weeds growing between the rows. 

 If possible, examine cultivators with these different kinds 

 of shovels and note the work they do. 



Check vs. Drills. — Many farmers drill in their corn, 

 i. e., plant it in rows only one way. It can then be cul- 

 tivated only one way and the weeds growing between the 

 hills cannot be reached with the cultivator. If these weeds 

 cannot be covered by having the cultivator throw earth 

 against the rows, they must be pulled by hand or let grow. 



Other farmers plant their corn in check rows. As 

 they can then cultivate it both ways, they can get all the 

 weeds with the cultivator, excepting an occasional one 

 growing in the hills. Try to look over fields of corn planted 

 each of these ways, at different times during the summer, 

 and see which fields are the cleaner. If you can find corn 

 planted each way in the same field or on the same farm, 

 and receiving the same number of cultivations, it will be 

 a better comparison. As one of the main objects in growing, 

 corn is to clean the land of weeds, it is better on weedy land 

 to plant corn so that it can be cultivated both ways. If 

 corn is cultivated both ways, it is easier to keep the sur- 

 face smooth and level, a condition which is desirable, as a 

 ridged surface is hard to work down, and more surface is 

 exposed, causing more evaporation. 



Questions: 



1. Why is it not wise to cultivate corn too deeply? 



2. What can you say about different types of cultivators? 



3. What is said of planting corn in drills or in check rows? 



Arithmetic: 



1. If the time of a man and team is worth $4.00 per day, what 

 is the cost per acre to cultivate, if they cultivate 8 acres per day? 

 How much does it cost to cultivate an acre of corn six times? 



2. How many bushels of com at 54c per bushel must a farmer 

 get to pay for cultivating his corn six times? 



3. If the time of a man and three horses is worth $5.00. What is 

 the cost per acre, if they cultivate 14 acres per day? (Three horses 

 can draw a two row cultivator.) 



SELECTION OF SEED CORN 



Selection Neglected. — A comparatively small amount 

 of seed corn is needed each year, on the average farm, as 

 one bushel will plant from six to eight acres. On this ac- 



