FARM PRACTICE IN THE CULTIVATION OP CORN. 39 



to supply local demands. A few apples are produced, and most 

 farmers are engaged in general farming. 



A large percentage of the upland is in pasture and a considerable 

 number of cattle are produced. Practically all the corn is grown on 

 sod land. Most of the breaking is done in the spring with a 2-horse 

 plow, and this is followed with the spring-tooth and spike-tooth har- 

 rows. Because the land is very stony only a few disk harrows are 

 used. 



Most of the upland farmers plant corn in drills 3 to 3^ feet apart, 

 with one stalk every 8 inches in the drill, but in the valleys and on 

 level uplands corn is usually planted in checks 3 to 3| feet apart 

 each way, with three and four stalks to the hill. In either case the 

 planting is level. 



After planting, a few of the farmers use a spike-tooth harrow or 

 weeder for the first cultivation, but most of the cultivating is done 

 with either a 2-horse 6-shovel cultivator or a 1-horse 5-shovel culti- 

 vator, the 5-shovel cultivator being largely used. Occasionally a 2- 

 horse 8-shovel cultivator and a 1-horse 2-shovel cultivator are found. 

 On the tobacco farms a special cultivator similar to that used in the 

 Connecticut Valley tobacco district is used. This is a 2-horse cul- 

 tivator equipped with scrapers or knives for stirring only the surface 

 soil and cutting the weeds. It is so adjusted that the knives extend 

 under the tobacco leaves and cultivate near the stalk without break- 

 ing or bruising the leaves. Few cover crops are grown, and corn 

 land is usually seeded to oats in the spring. 



Both the flint and dent varieties of corn are grown, but the dent 

 is largety used for ensilage. 



The most prevalent weeds are ragweed, smartweed, pigweed, and 

 wild carrot. 



SURVEYS IN CHRISTIAN COUNTY, KY. 



Most of the tillage records for Kentucky (Table XIX) were taken 

 in southern Christian County, in the section around Pembroke. This 

 is a level prairielike section with very fertile soil of a silt-loam type. 

 This soil has good natural drainage, and ordinarily no tiles or sur- 

 face drains are found. 



Practically all the leading roads have been macadamized. The 

 farmers have exceptionally good houses and appear prosperous. 

 Mo-tly negro labor is employed on the farms, which are large, but 

 since cheap labor is available very little improved machinery is em- 

 ployed. 



A general rotation of corn or tobacco one year, wheat two years, 

 and hay two years is maintained to some extent on most farms. Cow- 

 peae are grown for bay in this section and as a catch crop are often 

 sown in corn at the last cultivation. 



