Dry Farming In Colorado 
25 
Cultivation should be shallow, as beans are a surface-rooted 
crop. Cultivation, while shallow, should be frequent enough and 
thoro enough to prevent the formation of a crust on the soil and 
to keep down weed growth. Great care must be exercised not 
to cultivate when the vines are wet. At such a time the vines 
are easily broken and the danger of being infected with some of 
the common bean diseases is greatly increased. Beans are har¬ 
vested by means of a bean harvester. Many of the modern forms 
of harvester have a bunching attachment which materially de¬ 
creases the labor of bunching. Pinto beans should be harvested 
before they are completely ripe, because they will ripen in the 
shock or bunch and, by harvesting in this way, danger of shatter¬ 
ing is almost eliminated. 
Increased prices may be obtained by thoro machine-cleaning 
and uniform bagging of the product. Pinto beans should not 
usually be planted more than one year on the same patch of land 
because of the danger of bean diseases. In order to reduce the 
danger of disease still further and to increase the yield, it pays 
to hand-select the seed from high-yielding plants which ripen 
early and uniformly. 
CORN 
Corn is one of the most important grain and forage crops. 
In many sections no forage will produce as high yields per acre. 
In the higher and moister sections, on the Arkansas-Platte Divide 
region, corn will produce a greater tonnage than any other 
similar forage. There are many other localities where it will out- 
yield the grain or forage sorghums. Where corn will out-yield 
such other crops it should be used for forage. It makes an ex¬ 
cellent fodder where property cured and when stored in the silo 
makes the very best silage possible. Corn can be grown in cooler 
localities than can any of the sorghums. It is probable, therefore, 
that corn will take the first place in the cooler and moister sec¬ 
tions, while the sorghums will take first place in the drier and 
hotter sections of our territory. 
Preparation of the Soil .—The best method of soil preparation 
for corn depends upon the character of the soil, the rotation, and 
the crop which precedes corn on the land. If the land is rather 
light and sandy, fall plowing is not wise on account of danger of 
soil blowing. However, such lands may usually be managed so as 
to keep down weeds and put the surface in shape for catching 
winter and spring moisture. Where small grain or an early har¬ 
vested cultivated crop preceded corn, the land may be double 
disked at once to kill weeds and put the surface in good condition 
for catching rainfall, Then, instead of plowing, the land is 
