278 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
APR 27 
farm ©amotmj. 
Cultivating Young Crops. 
HARROWS AS HOES. 
IN CORN AND POTATO FIELDS 
Lessening Hand Labor 
WHAT FARMERS THINK ABOUT IT 
During the past few years, farmers have 
told remarkable stories about the work done 
by the harrow on young corn and potatoes. 
It has been claimed that a good harrowing, 
just after the plants pushed through the 
ground, has saved one cultivating and one 
hoeiDg, besides the advantage obtained from 
working the soil about the plants at a time 
when no other implement could have been 
used. The R. N.-Y. has asked a number of 
farmers to tell us what they think of thisprac- 
tice. Here we have their answers, presented 
without further comment: 
FROM FRED GRUNDY. 
1 think it does not pay to harrow young 
corn or potatoes. When the smoothing har¬ 
row was first introduced many farmers 
bought it to use on young corn to keep weeds 
down, level and mellow the land, etc., as 
shown in the pictures aud set forth in the 
circulars. They soon learned, however, that 
the advantages of the new and remarkable 
method of corn culture existed principally 
in the minds of the manufacturers of the im¬ 
plement. When the land was perfectly clear 
of all trash the smoothing harrow gouged out 
very little corn; but the trouble was that not 
one acre in 50 could be found in that condi¬ 
tion. Some advocated thicker seeding and 
“reducing the surplus” with the harrow, but 
that proved to be a pretty “ thin racket.” 
The harrow would take out an entire hill 
here and there, pick two plants out of a hill 
of three and leave hills of six and seven un¬ 
touched. I prefer to have three or four 
plants in each hill and the hills a proper dis¬ 
tance apart. 
Some farmers harrow corn land immediate¬ 
ly after plowing, plant, then roll, and harrow 
over once or twice more. This leaves the 
land in fine condition for the cultivator; but 
should a heavy, beating rain follow soon after, 
the soil will pack almost as solid as a road, 
and it must be stirred again by some means 
before it bakes, or there will be tribulation. 
Other farmers simply harrow once or twice 
over after planting, and this is generally con¬ 
sidered the best practice if the land has been 
pretty well pulverized before planting. It 
does not pay to plant on rough, cloddy ground 
and then harrow. When this is done clods 
are dragged on hundreds of hills and the 
plants are either entirely smothered, or 
pressed over to one side and ruined. Cloddy 
and rough land should be pulverized before 
planting. I always harrow potatoes just be¬ 
fore the vines appear. It destroys all young 
weeds, levels the trenches off nicely and leaves 
the land in fine shape for the cultivator. 
Christian County, Illinois. 
FROM PROF. A. J. COOK. 
It is my practice to harrow my corn ground 
before the corn is up and until it gets five or 
six inches high. I do not raise potatoes. I 
use a very broad fine-tooth harrow with the 
teeth slanting back. This does no damage to 
the corn even when the latter is well up. In¬ 
deed I plant very liberally in drills—about 12 
quarts to the acre—so that it will bear thin¬ 
ning. I plant with a common grain drill, 
using the outside teeth only. The other holes 
are stopped up with small pieces of wood. In 
this way I can plant 12 acres in half a day; 
though this makes lively work. As I space 
every alternate row with my eye, of course 
I can plant twice as much space as I could 
drill of common grain. I do this, first, be¬ 
cause it mellows the ground and the corn 
comes much better; second, because.the young 
weeds are thereby killed so that they do not 
bother later, and I do not have to hoe at all. 
After this harrowing I use only the spring- 
tooth harrow. Nearly all the best farmers 
here practice this method. The practice is 
increasing. I consider it a very valuable re¬ 
form on the old ways. 
Ingham County, Michigan. 
FROM CHAS. MCDANIEL,. 
In working growing corn with a harrow or 
a substitute, 1 have used Breed’s Universal 
Weeder for the past two years on heavy and 
light soils, on corn and potatoes planted both 
in hills and drills, and for putting in grain 
and grass seed, and I find it better than the 
harrow because it costs less and is more easily 
handled. It requires only a light horse and 
is especially advantageous upon hill-sides 
for finally working small-grain land, or for 
the corn crop. In using it, it is immaterial 
whether a crop is planted in hill or drill. 
Sullivan County, N. H. 
FROM J. B. BASSETT. 
My practice has been to go over my corn 
land as soon as it is planted, with the harrow, 
for two reasons:—first, it obliterates old 
marks indicating where the corn is, thus pre¬ 
venting the gophers or squirrels from finding 
it until it comes up; and, second, the harrow 
stirs the ground and to some extent kills the 
weeds, especially if it is a dry time. The po¬ 
tatoes we served in the same way, but for the 
latter purpose only. After the plants are 
large enough to allow me to follow the rows 
easily, 1 go through the rows twice each way 
with a double-shovel plow—the best tool that 
I can find. The advantage of this tool is that 
it kills the w eeds (our great enemy) better 
than any other tool I have used. It is diffi¬ 
cult to find any tool that will take the place 
of the hoe for hand work on very wet 
ground. I have used the Universal 
Weeder, and find it a very excellent 
tool to use when the ground is dry and 
before the rows can be well followed by the 
shovel-plow. This tool can be used when the 
ground is dry upon any land. It is useful 
only in the very early stages of growth, and 
before any other instrument is suitable for 
the work. It can take the place of hand 
work only when the plant is very small or be¬ 
fore it comes up. We never resort to hand 
work in this State in corn, and seldom in po¬ 
tatoes, although 1 think it would pay in case 
of the latter. Upon the whole,there is no in¬ 
strument that equals the shovel-plow for this 
region. Our great enemies are the weeds,and 
any invention that would prevent their 
growth or exterminate those that have ap¬ 
peared would almost to a certainty insure a 
good crop. 
Hennepin County, Minnesota. 
FROM E. B. TRUE. 
It pays to harrow corn and potatoes if the 
land is in suitable condition, where the soil 
is fine and free from stones, sods, roots or 
lumps of manure. Where these are abundant 
aud a careless man drives the team, the crop 
will be more or less injured; but if a careful 
man drives the team and does not let obstruc¬ 
tions drag in the rows, a fine job can be done. 
I use a Thomas smoothing harrow made light 
for this purpose. If the land is in fine condi¬ 
tion, the harrow can be used until the crop 
is five to six inches high. The advantages are 
the killing of the weeds and the keeping of 
the ground fine and mellow. Every one knows 
that the best time to kill weeds is just before 
they come through the ground, and in no 
other way can this be done so thoroughly and 
easily as with the harrow. Any farmer that 
undertakes to farm as our fathers did—en¬ 
tirely or nearly so by hand labor—will make 
a failure and will say “ farming doesn’t pay 1 ” 
This method of using the harrow is not much 
in practice here, but some of the best farmers 
do use it with satisfaction. 
Orleans County, Vermont. 
FROM GEORGE W. P. JERRARD. 
I have never used a harrow upon my corn 
or potatoes before they were up, to kill weeds. 
There is always an abundance of farm labor¬ 
ers to be had in this section, and I have pre¬ 
ferred to have this work done by careful 
hand labor. I have watched the harrowing 
process on my neighbors’ potato fields from 
time to time; but I have invariably noticed 
that by far too many sets are dragged out or 
sprouts detached or mutilated for the practice 
to go into my fields Somehow the harrow 
teeth seem unable to discriminate between the 
weeds and the valuable plants, and when one 
of the latter happens to be in their way it is 
very sure to be injured. I find it the best 
policy to have every kind of work done upon 
my growing crops in the best possible man¬ 
ner; then when the harvest comes it is a poor 
season when I fail to get abundant crops. 
Aroostook County, Me. 
FROM L. W. CURTIS. 
1 have harrowed my potatoes for 20 years— 
long before I had a smoothing harrow. Since 
I have had the latter implement I use it for 
Doth corn and potatoes. As I plant my pota¬ 
toes very early and they are some time com¬ 
ing up I run the harrow over them before the 
vines appear, then again soon after they are 
up. I plant in drills, with the rows 2 % feet 
apart. In about a week or 10 days according 
to the weather, and the starting of the weeds, 
I run the cultivator through, and before they 
start again I run through with a Prout’s horse- 
hoe. I then run through w ith a double-mold¬ 
board plow which will do about all the hilling 
needed; but if the weeds start again before 
the vines are too large, I run through with 
the horse-hoe again, set so as to hill more. If 
the rows are just far enough apart the plow 
works splendidly. With corn, I run the 
harrow before the corn is up, and then follow 
up with a weeder, unless the ground is very 
free from stones. If it is so, the harrow can 
be used until the corn is six inches high. If 
the ground is stony, the weeder is better, us it 
can be lifted over any obstructions, and can 
be used until the corn is one foot high. 
I then use the Prout’s hoe as long as needed. 
If these machines have been used at a proper 
time—say, just as the weeds are breaking 
through the ground—there will be no further 
trouble witn weeds. If I do not waut to sow 
grass seed, I hill a little, and that covers all 
the weeds in the rows. Oue advantage of 
this system is that I use no hand labor, which 
ccsts too much. Another advantage is that 
one can choose a hot, dry sunny forenoon and 
go over all the ground, while if the work is 
done by hand, rain may overtake him, and 
the weeds may get large and grow all the 
better for the hoeing. I know of no soils on 
which one cannot use, at least, two of the im¬ 
plements named, and these used at a proper 
time aud in a proper way will always take 
the place of the hand hoe. One should always 
remember that they must be used before the 
weeds get much of a start, otherwise they will 
often help the weeds along. They can be 
used in hill culture as well as in drill. They 
can entirely supplant hand labor. I never 
use the hoe to plant or cultivate after the 
crop is up. As 1 have said, I do not believe 
any farmer can afford to use hand labor as it 
is too expensive. A man must use his brains 
if he wants to succeed with a machine. A 
harrow or a weeder run over a piece of corn 
or potatoes on a hot, dry, sunny day at the 
proper time, will kill all the weeds; but if 
used on a wet day or after the weeds are up 
it is worse than useless. 
Worcester County, Massachusetts. 
FROM IRVING D. COOK. 
It is each year becoming m_>re a matter of 
doubt among Western New York farmers, 
whether it is advisable to attempt to grow 
corn at a profit, when we consider the fact 
that no other crop grown by us comes more in 
direct competition with those raised on the 
vast aud cheaper lands of the West, and 
eventually laid down in our nearest markets 
at the prevailing low prices. And it is only 
as we adopt the best known methods for 
cheapening its production, in regard to the 
preparation of the soil, application of ferti¬ 
lizers, planting, mode of cultivation, etc., 
that we can expect to grow this crop with any 
degree of satisfaction or remuneration. At 
the present time the manner of cultivation is 
a matter of increasing interest and investiga¬ 
tion. The old method of performing the 
season’s work of cultivation with the old-time 
“crotch” style of cultivator, allowing the 
rear teeth to run deep among the tender 
rootlets of the growing plants, the trench thus 
formed being permitted to remain, allowing 
free admission of air and the scorching rays 
of the sun, thus parching the soil and tending 
more or less to Injure or check the immediate 
growth of the plant, is by many considered 
unadvisable and injudicious. Consequently 
new methods are being devised, and one that 
attracts special attention at the present time, 
is that of harrowing for the earliest cultiva¬ 
tion. The common prejudice existing against 
this seemingly “ heroic treatment,” has pre¬ 
vented its general adoption, and it is only in 
isolated instances that I know of its being 
practiced. 
During the past season an adjoining neigh¬ 
bor for the first time harrowed a field of 
drilled corn intended for a field crop. The re¬ 
sults were so satisfactory that he intends to 
repeat the operation the coming year. The 
implement used for this work was construct¬ 
ed as follows:—The teeth were those previous¬ 
ly used in the ordinary spring tooth horse 
rakes, and were secured to two pieces of light 
scantling of sufficient length to harrow a 
space of the width usually taken in hay rak¬ 
ing. This harrow was attached to a two¬ 
wheeled arrangement used tor potato digging, 
in such a manner that the depth of the work 
could be regulated. The corn being in drills, 
satisfactory work could be accomplished by 
workin g across the rows, aud a bountiful 
crop was harvested with clean culture and 
less labor than ever before. During the dis¬ 
cussion of tnis question at our recent State 
farmers’ institute, the unanimous verdict 
seemed to be in favor of this method, it being 
claimed by those with experience that it 
tended to loosen the dry crust of earth often 
formed after copious rains, thus allowing the 
plant to expand and retain a healtuy growth, 
besides destroying myriads of tiny weeds, the 
rootlets of which permeate the soil in all direc¬ 
tions. The Hon. Seth Fenner stated that, 
after an absence from his farm, he 
learned, much to his indignation aud 
sorrow, that oue of his workmen with 
a 40-tooth drag had harrowed his en¬ 
tire field of corn, and that he despaired 
of realizing much from the crop that year, 
and that, in spite of his remonstrance and 
gloomy forebodings, he learned a few days 
later that his man had been over the field 
with that drag again, and he concluded by 
saying that it finally resulted in one of the 
most satisfactory crops he ever harvested. 
For later cultivation I have for several years 
used a two-horse wheeled spring tooth culti¬ 
vator, constructed in tw o sections. These are 
each V-shaped and are drawn, with the wide 
end ahead, on each side of the row as the work 
progresses. In this way deep cultivation is 
avoided: the action of the spring tooth creates 
a thorough agitation of the soil; no deep 
trench remains near the corn row; the soil at 
each cultivation is gradually moved toward 
the corn; the rear tooth leaving a slight trench 
in the middle of the space between the rows. 
Harrowing potatoes is not practiced by any 
of the large growers of this locality. For first 
cultivation nearly all have adopted the 
method of covering the entire surface of the 
row, the young plants included, soon after 
making their appearance, the soil for the pur¬ 
pose being moved from between the rows 
with a two-horse implement constructed es¬ 
pecially for the work. 
Genesee County, N. Y. 
FROM J. C. STRIBLING. 
In this region the smoothing harrow is 
used to a considerable extent in cultivating 
young corn aud cotton; but for cultivating 
with the harrow either crop should be planted 
with this object in view, aud more seed should 
be sown to the acre, and the soil should be well 
pulverized and free from trash. Formerly 
the Thomas smoothing harrow' was the uni¬ 
versal implement for this work; but now the 
New Lever has the advantage of being change¬ 
able while the team is going, so that it can 
be made to run a little deeper on hard places, 
or more slanting od soft spots to suit the na¬ 
ture of the soil and work aud preserve the 
stand. Here all our fields are more or less 
variable m character of soil, aud on under¬ 
standing what implement to use and how to 
use it hinges the success or failure of cultiva¬ 
tion with the harrow. For corn or cotton t 
harrow just before the young plant comes out 
THE RONK APPLE. Fig 98 
