MAIZE 



MAIZE 



409 



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ticular cases in which the application of a few 

 elements to the soil in rather moderate quantities 

 greatly increases the corn crop, the production of 

 corn on impoverished soils by means of commercial 

 fertilizers is not profitable. 



It is usually advisable to apply the commercial 

 fertilizers to a small grain crop grown in rotation 

 with corn. Such an application of fertilizers will 

 usually assist in obtaining a good stand of clover 

 or grass which is to follow the small grain crop. 

 Whenever possible, the land should be kept busy 

 growing legumes or grasses that can be plowed 

 under, and, briefly speaking, this is the best fertil- 

 izer for corn crops. When corn is to follow wheat, 

 it is usually advisable to sow with the wheat or 

 in early spring clover or some similar crop that 

 can occupy the land from the time the wheat is 

 removed until it is ready for corn. Some of the 

 most successful farmers always sow clover with 

 their winter wheat, when the land is to be planted 

 in corn the next spring. 



If found advisable to use commercial fertilizers 

 for corn, it should not be placed in the hills with 



the kernels. It 

 may be injuri- 

 ous to the ger- 

 mination of 

 the kernels or, 

 at any rate, it 

 is not at the 

 base of the 

 stalks that the 

 feeding roots 

 of the corn 

 plant are 

 found. At the 

 time of tassel- 

 ing and silking 

 the roots of the corn plant are well distributed 

 throughout the soil to a width and depth of three 

 or four feet. For soils that are very porous, or 

 when very soluble fertilizers, such as sodium 

 nitrate, are used, it is thought best to make the 

 application but a short time before the plants 

 begin to tassel and form ears. (Pig. 618.) 



Preparing the seed-bed. — Whenever possible, and 

 it should be made possible in most cases, it is advi- 

 sable to have the corn crop follow a hay crop. With 

 a very few exceptions the sod should be broken in 

 the fall. Double cultivators, two-row cultivators, 

 or implements especially designed for the work can 

 be used in the spring to tear up the decayed sod 

 and place the seed-bed in a well-pulverized condi- 

 tion. Disk-harrows are often used to advantage 

 for this work. Pall-plowed land is usually found 

 in the spring to contain more moisture and yet 

 have a drier surface than other soils. 



For very level land, and land that is likely to 

 remain very wet during a part of the growing 

 season, a method of preparing the seed-bed should 

 be adopted that will permit of some drainage for 

 the young plants. A very good method for such 

 soils is to throw up the land by back furrowing 

 into beds about eight feet wide. When pulver- 

 ized, the rows can be planted fpiir f§et apart, plac- 





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Fig. 622. Cultivating young corn wltli 

 a two-horse cultivator. (Hartley.) 



ing a row on either side and near to the water 

 furrows. In this way the young plants will have 

 drainage and the surplus water can remain in the 

 water furrows. For very sloping or hilly land, the 

 plowing and planting should be done along the 



Fig. 623. The right way to cultivate— shallow and 

 not too near the stalks at this stage. 



hillside or around the hill. In fact, if the soil is 

 inclined to wash, permanent terraces should be 

 maintained at intervals along the hillsides, so con- 

 structed as to maintain the same level throughout 

 the field. No soil can be improved in fertility or 

 kept in a fertile condition if much erosion is 

 permitted. 



Planting. — The method of planting must be 

 adapted to the section of country in which the 

 work is done. It is well recognized that for sec- 

 tions where very dry weather is likely to prevail 

 during the growing season, listing is best. This 

 method consists of planting the corn in the bottom 

 of a deep furrow or ditch. In many cases the en- 

 tire process of planting is performed by one opera- 

 tion, and without any previous preparation of the 

 land. It is usually best to prepare the land by 

 means of thorough plowing and then adopt some 

 method of listing that will place the young plants 



Fig. 624. The wrong way to cultivate— too close and deep. 

 Deep cultivation injures the roots and lessens the yield- 

 ing ability. 



in a furrow, so that the soil can be gradually 

 worked to them as they grow. Some corn-planters 

 accomplish this by marking off deep furrows and 

 running their drills or check-rowers in the furrows. 

 A simpler method is to attach to the check-rower 

 or corn -planter disks which will throw out the 



