CORN CULTURE 



17 



Methods of cultivation. Four or five cultivations may 

 be enough after the corn comes up, though this must de- 

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

 amount of moisture. The common tendency among our 

 best farmers is toward shallow cultivation. This must de- 

 pend on whether the soil seems to pack heavily and be- 

 come hard underneath. If it does, the earlier plowings 

 may well be of some depth. The important thing is not 

 to break or injure the growing roots. For a broken root 

 always means loss of vitality and food to the plant. 



Shallow cultivating of corn with riding cultivator. 



It is evident that deep cultivation after the roots are 

 well spread is a mistake. The old method of setting the 

 shovels deep and "hilling up" the corn the last two times 

 through is no longer followed in scientific farming. The 

 last cultivations should be shallow. Cultivation may con- 

 tinue with advantage up to the time the corn is tasseling 

 if care is taken not to break the roots. In dry seasons, 



