156 PRACTICAL CORN CULTURE 
use more each year, and on level ground they do fine work, but I 
believe I can do as good a job with a four or six-shovel cultivator. 
In my opinion the shovel plow stirs the ground better than the surface 
cultivator. 
We lay our corn by when it is about waist high. 
Every Corn Belt farmer should practice thorough preparation of 
the seed bed, should give his corn careful and frequent cultivatings, 
and above all else, plant strong, vigorous, pure bred seed. 
Yours very truly, 
HENRY J. LANGSTRAAT & SONS. 
Growers of Reid’s Yellow Dent and Johnson County White corn, 
and Swedish Select and Silvermine oats. 
Delaplaine, Ark., April 12th, 1913. 
Mr. W. T. Ainsworth, Mason City, Illinois. 
Dear Sir:—The nature of our soil is a deep sandy loam and is very 
level. I always plow my stalk ground in the spring, although fall 
plowing might be better. The plowing is done from six to eight 
inches in depth and the stalks are cut and turned under. I work my 
ground down as soon as it is plowed and harrow at frequent intervals 
until time to plant. 
The common method of planting in this country is with a single-row 
drill, but of late years I have planted by hand and checked the rows. 
I harrow the corn after it is about three inches high and cultivate four 
or five times. It is laid by when six or seven feet tall. 
Our corn makes from forty to eighty bushels per acre, depending 
on the season and the care the crop has received. I shall be very 
glad to receive your corn book. Yours truly, 
G. W. CLAYTON. 
Hughesville, Mo., April llth, 1913. 
Messrs. W. T. Ainsworth & Sons, Mason City, Illinois. 
Dear Sirs:—I am writing you to answer your questions in regard 
to my method of preparing the seed bed and cultivating the corn crop. 
Although I have a black, heavy rolling soil, I would rather have 
the stalks plowed under in the fall or winter, if it is possible to get 
the plow in the field. If the plowing is done in the spring, it should 
