162 PRACTICAL CORN CULTURE 
tivator. In these furrows I plant the corn. I sometimes cultivate the 
corn before it comes up with dise cultivator by throwing the dirt from 
the corn, then let it come up and get three or four blades on it, 
then follow with a shovel cultivator. I cultivate two or three times, 
then for the last plowing I use dise cultivators, set to throw the dirt 
to the corn. After this last plowing I leave the field until time to 
harvest the crop. 
Our soil is heavy and level. I plow the stalk ground in the spring. 
The ground should be plowed five to seven inches deep, owing to the 
soil, and the stalks should be turned under because it adds humus to 
the ground. I use drags and disc harrows to work the ground down 
after plowing. I let the early plowed fields stand until I am ready 
to plant before harrowing down. Sometimes I harrow before the corn 
comes up. In dry weather I harrow and roll after the corn comes up 
and the first time it is cultivated I plow from four to six inches deep. 
When I lay by I plow from two to three inches deep. 
Yours respectfully, MARK MITCHELL. 
Xenia, Ohio, April 14th, 1913. 
Messrs. W. T. Ainsworth & Sons, Mason City, Illinois. 
Gentlemen:—Our ground is a rather heavy clay soil, with spots of 
black ground scattered around over every field on the farm. It is 
level, and not being underlaid with sand or gravel, most of it needs 
tile. We have considerable tile laid, but there are several places where 
more would be of benefit. 
While we have never tried plowing for corn in the fall, I believe 
a heavy sod that is not rolling enough to wash, would do better than 
if plowed in the spring. One of our neighbors tried this, and was 
very successful. Where the ground is exposed in this way throughout 
the winter, some of the fertility may escape, but I do not believe there 
would be enough to offset the advantage to be gained by the conserva- 
tion of moisture, especially if the season was dry. Then, too, the sod 
has a chance to rot and is ready for the corn as soon as it begins to 
grow. We try to get our sod plowed as early in the spring as pos- 
sible, and I think we shall experiment some with fall plowing, since that 
is the only way to find out anything. 
We prefer to have the ground plowed seven or eight inches deep 
and not worked when it is too wet. We do not aim to follow corn 
with corn, but when it can’t be very well helped, we burn the stalks 
