158 CAMPBELL'S SOIL CULTURE MANUAL 



USE OF THE LISTEK. 



There is some diversity of opinion as to what is the 

 best way to plant corn. We prefer the use of the lister 

 over that of the check rower, especially in the higher 

 altitude or in the northern states where the nights are 

 cooler, which results in heavier suckering or stooling. 

 The additional shoots are very detrimental to the corn 

 crops, especially should we have a dry season. In the 

 humid sections, and on the rolling land, we still prefer 

 the check rower. 



There is one distinct advantage in the lister which 

 is worth a great deal to the farmer in some cases. When 

 there are symptoms of suckering, or the conditions are 

 such as to cause this, we may, by filling the furrow and 

 covering up the young shoots destroy them completely 

 and with ease. The higher the altitude and the drier 

 the atmosphere, the deeper is it necessary to cultivate 

 in order to produce a deeper mulch to prevent evapora- 

 tion. In using the lister on ground where the moisture 

 has been carefully preserved by disking and harrowing 

 in the early spring it is quite important to follow the 

 lister with some tool to thoroughly pulverize the moist 

 soil that is thrown up as such soil soon assumes a dry 

 and a very hard condition which is afterwards difficult 

 to manage. There ought always to be enough time so 

 that the surface of the soil can be cared for after planting 

 and before it is necessary to begin the corn cultivation. 

 The best tool for treating the soil surface at this period 

 is the weeder. The long and flexible teeth lap down on 

 the side of the furrow or ridge as thrown up between the 

 rows and quite completely pulverize the large clods that 

 are thrown up by the lister, leaving a perfect circle with 

 a nice fine mulch over the entire surface. This puts 



