172 



SOUTHERN FIELD CROPS 



across the rows, though the direction is not always im- 

 portant. 



161. Usual tilling or cultivating implements. The 

 implements most generally used in corn tillage in the South 

 are such as can be drawn by one horse or mule. Among 

 these are the following: heel scrapes, sweeps, cultivators 



FIG. 86. A WEEDEB. 



with many small points, and one-horse spring-tooth culti- 

 vators (Fig. 87) . Too often the cultivating implement is a 

 scooter, shovel or other implement tilling or cultivating but 

 a narrow strip of ground and running so deep as to cut 

 many of the corn roots. 



The general rule should be to till corn shallow, that is, 

 to a depth of 1^ to 2^- inches, unless there are special 

 reasons for deeper tillage. Sometimes comparatively deep 

 tillage may be justifiable while the corn is less than one 

 foot high, especially on land that contains much clay and 



