Farm Management and Farm Crops 107 



spread out near the sur- 

 face (Fig. 85). Little 

 moisture is lost from the 

 surface in a cornfield, for 

 the roots absorb it. But, 

 until late in the season, 

 there must be frequent 

 cultivation to keep the 

 field free from weeds. 

 That, cultivation is 

 mainly for the purpose 

 of killing weeds is shown 

 by the fact that, under 

 ordinary conditions, corn 

 will yield about as well 

 if the weeds are scaled 

 off just below the surface 

 of the ground as if the 

 field is cultivated in the 

 usual way (Figs. 86 and 



8 7 ). 



In order to cover the 

 roots to a greater depth, 

 a lister is often used in 



dry regions. The lister is a plow that throws the 

 dirt in both directions at once, making deep furrows 

 with high ridges between. The corn is planted in the 

 furrows, and as it grows the dirt is cultivated down 

 into the furrows, burying the roots very deeply. Listing 

 is much faster than ordinary plowing, but it does not 

 loosen all the ground. 



W. T. Skilling 

 FIG. 84. A hand corn planter. 



Listing 



