PART I 
CULTURE 
CHAPTER II 
PREPARING THE SEED BED 
Iron-clad rules cannot be laid down for preparing a seed 
bed for corn. The methods suggested in this chapter have 
been found practical on our own farms and have been tested 
out from two to ten years. Our soil is a black level silt 
loam, with a deep, porous subsoil that makes a natural drain- 
age for surface water. A heavier soil would need more rolling, 
and a lighter one would need less; so the farmer who would 
benefit from reading this chapter should compare each opera- 
tion carefully with his own practice and not make a change 
until he has satisfied himself it is adapted to his local con- 
ditions. 
There is a great diversity of opinion among farmers as 
to the best method of preparing a seed bed. There is not 
this difference of opinion as to what constitutes a good seed 
bed. The best farmers agree that an ideal seed bed, to be in 
good physical condition when the time comes to plant corn, 
must be aérated and not run together. The soil particles 
must be fine and free from lumps or clods. A maximum 
amount of moisture is conserved in the subsoil by having 
a shallow dust mulch on the surface. A large number of 
weed seeds have been sprouted and all that show on the 
surface have been killed immediately before planting. We 
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