CORN LETTERS FROM THIRTY FARMERS 141 
Larchland, Illinois. 
W. T. Ainsworth & Sons, Mason City, Illinois. 
Gentlemen:-—Our soil is heavy, rich and level. I plow what ground 
I can in the fall and the rest in the spring, and it is plowed as deep 
as the team can pull the plow. It should be plowed eight td ten 
inches deep. 
All stalks are eut and turned under in order to add humus to the 
soil. As soon as the ground is plowed in the spring it is harrowed 
and later it is worked into a seed bed with the harrow and disc. 
I use weeders both before and after the corn is up in preference 
to the harrow. 
I start plowing corn when it is from two to six inches tall. The 
first time over I cultivate deep, but later cultivations are shallower. I 
cultivate the corn all I have time to, which, of course, varies with dif- 
ferent seasons. The cultivation is always continued until the corn is 
so tall it begins to break under the arch of the cultivator. 
I shall look forward to receiving your book on ‘‘ Practical Corn 
Culture. ’’ Very respectfully yours, 
H. KALLISTA. 
Arcola, Illinois, April 9th, 1913. 
W. T. Ainsworth & Sons, Mason City, Illinois. 
Dear Sirs:—I am writing in answer to your letter to give you my 
experience a8 a corn grower. 
Our soil is a black, heavy loam and is very level; in fact, it is so 
level that it is necessary to survey before laying tile. 
We think our soil is the cream of the Corn Belt, at least that is 
what the wise men at Champaign tell us. 
I prefer to have my corn ground plowed in the fall and usually 
succeed in getting all the sod and pasture plowed at that time. I am 
fully convinced that fall plowing should be at least six inches deep. 
Since the stalks add humus I prefer to cut them and turn them 
under. If the tenant farmer is not equipped with implements for cut- 
ting the stalks he had better burn them, where corn follows corn, since 
they will be in the way of cultivation. 
If the ground is packed we use the disc, if freshly plowed the 
spike-tooth harrow in preparing the seed bed. We usually harrow 
ground just after plowing. I consider all work on the seed bed time 
well spent. 
