CORN 71 



broken by the earth thrown against them by the rapidly mov- 

 ing shovels. 



The importance of this first cultivation can hardly be over- 

 emphasized. It should not be done when the ground is too 

 wet ; it should not be put off until the weeds begin to smother 

 the corn plants. Many a corn crop has been reduced in yield 

 from a fourth to a half by neglecting to use the right imple- 

 ment in the right way at the right time. 



Every man ought to be so familiar with his own soil and 

 its condition that he can judge the right time to cultivate 

 by looking at it, by walking over it, and by feeling of it 

 with his fingers. If the ground is too wet, there is danger 

 that serious harm will be done by the cultivator; if it is al- 

 lowed to get too dry, there will be great loss of moisture due 

 to evaporation and the growth of weeds. 



Shallow cultivation. Much damage is done to corn every 

 year by too deep cultivation. By the time corn is a foot 

 high, it will not be possible to give it deep cultivation with- 

 out breaking off many of the roots. This will give the corn a 

 serious set-back. 



"With the plowing well done in fall or winter or early 

 spring; with thorough preparation of the seed-bed by the 

 use of disk or cutaway, and smoothing harrow and roller or 

 plank drag; with one deep cultivation well and carefully 

 done ; after this it is easy to do the work that will ordinarily 

 assure a good crop of corn on fairly rich land. The subse- 

 quent cultivation should be shallow. In fact, some corn 

 growers advocate merely scraping the surface of the ground 

 to destroy weeds and provide a soil mulch. 



