| Show MOST EFFECTIVE cultivation OF COHN V IMPLEMENT FOR maintaining SOIL MULCH prepared by the united states department of agriculture formers farmers can make alio cultivation of corn most effective and go it a long way toward assuring themselves of harvesting a good crop by getting the lie start of weeds when these robber plants tire are small before their roots ha have taken firm hold and before b L fore they lieve used much soil moisture they can in be destroyed by a light stirring of ilia soil when weeds have become better established however deep cultivation ti only will kill them such deep c cultivation not only means more inore labor ut b but it cannot bo be accomplished I 1 without breaking and destroying many corn rots roots I 1 it ir corn land has been properly prepared deep cultivation Is not advisable it should never bo be given close to tho the plants after they are a foot high ns as much harm barm would bo be done by breaking the roots to get an early start of the weeds in ninny many sections or in seasons when seed germinates slowly it Is advisable to harrow once or twice or otherwise to cultivate the field before corn cornea comes up limited moisture makes thin stands necessary and it Is poor management to allow grass and weeds to rob tho the corn of this moisture aside abide from destroying weeds timely cultivation Is beneficial in preventing the loss of moisture by evaporation and also in hastening tho the warming of the soil the loss of soli soil moisture by evaporation continues much longer from a compact damp surface than from a loose dry surface and the evaporation tends to keep the soli soil cold in northern localities and at high 11 altitudes the conservation of heat beat Is frequently as important as the conservation of moisture luckily both heat and moisture may b bo e conserved by good timely cultivation hent heat Is wasted in evaporating or wasting soli soil moisture making the surface loose and dry saves both soil heat and soil moisture cultivate after rains c cultivating after heavy rains to Is a g bood practice to be most effective the cultivating should be done as soon aps ps the surface Is dry enough to work avell ell it if the soil Is allowed to dry un III 11 it breaks u up T cloddy much moisture will bo be lost a good mulch cannot be obtained and harm Is more likely to be ba done to ilia corn roots As long as aa rapid evaporation Ls la taking place the surface will remain cold and tile growth of tile the corn will be slow in order to cover largo large areas quickly cultivators tiva tors which work two or more rows aro are a great advant advantage the number of necessary and tile the best time for them depend upon weather conditions weeds should not bo be allowed allow ed to grow and a mellow surface should be maintained in some seasons this may bo be effectually accomplished with one or two in other seasons from four tj to six may be b necessary nothing can bo be gained by continuing cultivation in cornfields free from weeds and in which the soil surface is mellow when the surface Is 18 sufficiently loose and dry to reduce evaporation Is open enough to prevent runoff and no weeds are starting a cultivation t ti could do no good and it if carelessly performed would do injury to the corn object of cultivation corn should be cultivated only when one or more objects will be accomplished by the cultivation and when total effects will bo be more beneficial than injurious the beneficial effects of cultivation are 1 preventing weeds from robbing the corn of soil moisture and fertility 2 rutting putting the surface in condition to take in rainfall thus preventing run oft and erosion which mean losses of water artl and soil eoll fertility 3 warming the soll eoll by drying its surface quickly M 4 saving moisture by checking its capillary rise to the soil surface some injurious effects of cultivation are 1 breaking the corn roots which otherwise would use some of th the moisture of light showers before it evaporates and 2 forming large clods cloda and nir spaces thus thug permitting air to enter and dry the soil |
