SOIL SURVEY OF LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA, 17 



harrowed, and lap harrowod. Planting of the (>arly crop is done be- 

 tween April 20 and 30, and of the late crop between May 15 and 30. 

 Planters are used by some farmers, but in most cases the rows arc 

 marked off with a plow and the seed dropped l)y hand. The crop is 

 either dug with a potato digger or plowed out. About August 15 

 the early crop is harvested, wliilc the late crop is gathered between 

 September 15 to October 15. 



In growing sweet corn the same methods are used in seed-bed 

 preparation, planting, and cultivating as in the case of field corn, 

 except that the date of planting is a little later. Sweet corn is fre- 

 quently the crop used in replanting bottom lands. The ears are snapped 

 in the field and hauled to the canning factory, the stalks being used 

 later for pasturage or cut for fodder. 



About 5 per cent of the alfalfa grown in the county is started with 

 the aid of a nurse crop, which is generally oats but sometimes rye. 

 The seed bed is well prepared and frequently summer fallowed and 

 harrowed repeatedly before seeding, to get rid of the weeds. If a 

 nurse crop is used seeding is done in April, otherwise in Jime or 

 August. The blue-fiowered Kansas or Nebraska common seed or 

 the Grimm variety is used and sown at the rate of 15 to 20 pounds 

 per acre. If a nurse crop is used one cutting is made for hay, other- 

 wise the crop is not cut the first year. After the first year three or 

 four cuttings are obtained annually. The first cutting is made be- 

 tween June 1 and June 10, the second about July 15, the third about 

 August 25, and the fourth about September 15. 



On a majority of the farms in Louisa County the buildings in- 

 clude beside the house a horse barn, cattle barn, corn crib, hog 

 houses, granary, poultry house, machine shed, garage, and hay bar- 

 rack. The machinery usually includes a gas engine for pumping, 

 grinding, and similar work; walking, sullrv^, and gang plows; disk 

 harrow, spike-tooth harrow, corn sheller, end-gate seeder, grain 

 drill, binder, mower, and dump rake. About 20 per cent of the 

 farms have silos. There are a few double-row cultivators in use, 

 and five or six tractor cultivators. Corn binders are found on about 

 30 per cent of the farms. There are a few shredders, 60 to 75 ensi- 

 lage cutters, and several side-delivery rakes and hay loaders. Ma- 

 nure spreaders are found on 50 per cent or more of the farms. There 

 are numerous orchard-spra^nng outfits, about 70 thrashing outfits, 

 7 or 8 clover hullers, and 80 to 100 tractors, mostly of the 2, 3, and 4 

 bottom sizes. The work stock is of good quality. Much emphasis 

 has been placed in recent years on the desirability of good stallions. 

 Only about 3 per cent of the work stock consists of mules. The 

 horses average medium to heavy, weighing 1,200 to 1,500 pounds. 

 186268°— 21 3 



