CORN 



187 



THE LAST CULTIVATION 

 SHOULD BE SHALLOW 



DEEP CULTIVATION 

 EARLY IN THE SEASON 

 SAVES THE MOISTURE 



SHALLOW CULTIVATION 

 LATE IN THE SEASON 

 SAVES THE CORN ROOTS 



carefully selected and graded seed. An actual count of the number of 

 missing hills or plants on an acre would prove to the grower his loss 

 through imperfect planting. Extensive investigations over large areas 

 have shown that in certain years farmers secured not more than three- 

 quarters of the full stand. If 75 per cent of a full stand produces 40 

 bushels to the acre, what will 95 per cent of a full stand produce? 



Cultivation of Corn. — It is a trite saying that the cultivation of corn 

 should begin before it is planted. This means that the final preparation 

 of the seed-bed should take place just before planting, in order that all 

 weeds that have just 

 begun to grow will be 

 destroyed. In the ab- 

 sence of such prepara- 

 tion weeds that have 

 started will make so 

 much growth before 

 the corn comes up that 

 it will make the first 

 cultivation difficult. 

 Small corn may be 

 harrowed with a slant- 

 toothed smoothing 

 harrow without in j ury . 

 A thorough harrowing 

 at such a time will 

 destroy many weeds 

 that are beginning to 

 grow, and is equally 

 as effective as one good 

 cultivation, and much 

 more quickly done. 



The chief objects 

 of cultivation are : (1) 

 to destroy weeds, (2) 



conserve moisture, (3) aerate the soil, and (4) increase the absorption of 

 rainfall by keeping the surface loose. Under most conditions level and shal- 

 low cultivation is superior to deep cultivation and the ridging of the soil. 

 Deep cultivation cuts many of the corn roots, thus reducing the ability 

 of the plants to secure both plant food and moisture. In general, the 

 first cultivation may be fairly deep, thus inducing a deeper rooting of 

 the corn plants, after which shallower cultivation should take place which 

 will interfere but little with the roots. One hundred and sixteen tests 

 at thirteen experiment stations relative to the depth of cultivation for 



The Right and Wrong Way of Cultivating Corn. 1 



1 Courtesy of The International Harvester Company, Agricultural Extension Department. From 

 pamphlet "Corn is King." 



