48 AGRICULTURE 



this experiment what do you conclude is the best depth? 

 Ask your father how deep he plants his corn. 



12. Cultivating the Corn 



Why corn needs to be cultivated. Corn is to be cul- 

 tivated after planting for three main purposes: (1) to kill 

 the weeds, (2) to admit air to the roots, and (3) to pre- 

 serve the moisture of the soil. 



From the time germination begins the growth of the 

 plant must be unchecked if a full crop is to be secured. 

 When corn has become yellow and spindling from being 

 choked by weeds, or from the baking of uncultivated soil 

 around it, it is permanently injured and will never fully 

 recover. Only the rich green color and sturdy stock of the 

 rapidly growing plant give promise of a full yield. 



When to begin cultivation. Cultivation should begin 

 early. Under average conditions, two harrowings should 

 be given before the corn comes up. This will keep the soil 

 from baking, and keep the weeds down until the plants are 

 large enough to cultivate. The time to kill weeds is just as 

 they are starting. Let them once get well rooted, and they 

 are hard to keep down. The spring tooth weeder is some- 

 times used instead of the harrow for early cultivation. It 

 is valuable where there are many stones or ruts in the 

 field. 



The shovel or disk cultivator should be started as soon 

 as the corn is well up, so that the rows can be easily fol- 

 lowed. Even if the weeds do not seem to be starting, they 

 are surely taking root. Cultivation will also break up the 

 crusted soil, and admit air to the growing roots. And this 

 must be done or their growth will be checked. 



Methods of cultivation. Four or five cultivations are 

 usually enough after the corn comes up, though this must 

 depend on the character of the soil, the weeds and the 



