FARM CALENDAR 



By 0. D. CENTER, Supt. of Illinois State Farmers' Institute, Springfield, 111. 



(Continued from March number) 



MAY i- 1 5 



Do not become impatient to get the corn into the ground- 

 Little is gained by planting before the soil is thoroughly warm. 

 It is far better to give the land an extra thorough preparation 

 which will kill the weed seedlings than it is to attempt to kill 

 these seedlings after the corn is planted. If the seed has been 

 thoroughly tested, plant only such amount as is best suited to the 

 purpose to which you wish to put the crop. If you expect to use 

 the corn for silage, it will be planted more thickly than if har- 

 vested for grain. If your soil is of fifty-bushel capacity or better, 

 you can plant more thickly than if it is well worn. Follow the 

 planter with the harrow, for much easier cultivation is accom- 

 plished with the harrow than with the cultivator and the harrow 

 is just as effective. 



Remember that the new grass which the stock is now getting 

 contains less nutriment than the winter feed to which they have 

 been accustomed. Better supplement the pastures. 



MAY 15-30 



If you have a clover field that has winter-killed or upon 

 which there is a poor stand, do not think that this must go into 

 corn. If it is in a rotation, do not fail to put some legume plant 

 in the place of the clover. Soy beans make a splendid legume 

 crop and are more easily to handle than cowpeas. If you put in 

 the soy beans, it is well to plow the land and prepare as though 

 corn were to be planted. 



Provide sufficient pasturage for all the stock which you 

 have. Remember that the stock suffer for lack of feed the same 

 as you would suffer for lack of provisions. It may be that in- 

 sufficient and poor quality of water is supplied to the pasture. 

 Remedy this at once. Don't forget that the stock like access to 

 salt as well as water. 



The cultivator should be started on the corn and the pota- 

 toes, and the garden kept free from weeds. 



The lawn will look better if the lawn mower is used regu- 

 larly each week. 



