FARM CROPS 169 



important crop of American agriculture. It is the backbone 

 of farming in this country. Live stock of every kind are fed 

 upon rations into which it largely enters, and it feeds more 

 human beings than any other grain except perhaps rice. 

 It grows in almost every section of America. 



A soil rich in both decaying animal and vegetable matter, 

 loose, warm, and moist but not wet, will produce a better 

 crop of corn than any other. Corn soil should always be 

 well tilled and cultivated. 



The proper time to begin the cultivation of corn is 

 before it is planted. Plow well. A shallow, worn-out soil 

 should not be used for corn, but for cowpeas or clover. 

 After thorough plowing, the harrow either the disk or 

 spring tooth should be used to destroy all clods and 

 leave the surface mellow and fine. The best results will 

 be obtained by " turning under " a clover sod that has been 

 manured from the savings of the barnyard. 



When manure is not available, commercial fertilizers 

 will often prove profitable on poor lands. No one but the 

 farmer himself is able to say how much fertilizer an acre 

 is necessary or what kinds are to be used. A little study 

 and experimenting on his part will soon enable him to find 

 out both the kind and the amount of fertilizer that is best 

 suited to his land. 



The seed for this crop should be selected according to 

 the plan suggested in another section of this book. 



The most economical method of planting is by means 

 of the horse planter, which, according to its adjustment, 

 plants regularly in hills or in drills. 



A few days after planting, the cornfield should be har- 

 rowed with a fine-tooth harrow to loosen the top soil and 



