126 FARM CROPS 



horse after the corn is too big for the two-horse cul- 

 tivators. A hard, baked crust should never be al- 

 lowed to form in the cornfield until after the corn 

 is in the roasting ear. Give shallow, close cultiva- 

 tion while the corn is young and deeper and farther 

 from the hills as the corn gets older. 



However, if on account of unfavorable weather, 

 the corn gets weedy, any kind of cultivation that 

 destroys the weeds most effectively is best. The 

 kind and condition of the soil must determine the 

 kind of cultivator. The disk does best in one place, 

 the eagle claw in another, and the two, three and 

 four-shovel gangs also have their places. On good, 

 clean, well-drained land the two-row riding cul- 

 tivators can be used to great advantage, while on 

 rough or stumpy or stony land the two-shovel 

 spring trip gang walking, or even the one-horse 

 double shovel, and the hoe, must be resorted to. 

 Keep the soil stirred and the weeds subdued. 



Cultivating Corn the Last Time. — It oftens hap- 

 pens that after the corn has been laid by, heavy, 

 dashing rains compact the surface soil, and when 

 the ground dries out it cracks. Evaporation then 

 begins to take place rapidly and unless something 

 is done to recreate the soil mulch, the yield will 

 be seriously curtailed. Some growers have used 

 a sort of spading harrow just wide enough to go 

 between two rows. It is drawn by one horse, and 

 with it 6 to 8 acres a day can be gone over when 

 the corn is so large that it cannot be worked with 

 the ordinary cultivator. It pays to give this extra 

 working, as the difference in yield sometimes 

 amounts to as much as 8 bushels to the acre. The 

 harrow can be a section of an ordinary spading 

 harrow, or any kind of an implement that will break 



