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Show MOST EFFECTIVE CULTIVATION OF CORN IMPLEMENT FOR MAINTAINING SOIL MULCH. (Prepared by the United States Department Depart-ment of Agriculture.) Farmers can make the cultivation of corn most effective and go a long w'ay toward assuring themselves of harvesting a good crop by getting the start of weeds. When these7 robber plants are small, before their roots have taken firm hold and before they have used much soil moisture, they can be destroyed by a- light stirring of the soil. When weeds have become better established, however, deep cultivation cul-tivation only will kill them. Such deep cultivation not only means more labor, but It cannot be accomplished without breaking and destroying many corn roots. If corn land has been properly prepared pre-pared deep cultivation is not advisable. It should never be given close to the plants after they are a foot high, as much harm would be done by breaking the roots. To get an early start of the weeds, In many sections or in seasons when seed germinates slowly, It is advisable to harrow once or twice or otherwise to cujtivate the field before corn comes up. Limited moisture makes thin stands necessary and it Is poor management man-agement to allow grass and weeds to rob the corn of this moisture. Aside from destroying weeds, timely time-ly cultivation Is beneficial in preventing prevent-ing the loss of moisture by evaporation evapora-tion and also In hastening the warming warm-ing of the soil. The loss of soil moisture mois-ture by evaporation continues much longer from a compact, damp surface than from a loose, dry surface, and the evaporation tends to keep the soil cold. In Northern localities and at high altitudes the conservation of heat Is frequently as important as the conservation con-servation of moisture. Luckily, both heat and moisture may be conserved by good, timely cultivation. Heat is wasted in evaporating or wasting soil moisture, making the surface loose and dry saves both soil heat and soil moisture. Cultivate After Rains. Cultivating after heavy rains Is a good practice. To be most effective the cultivating should be done as soon as the surface is dry enough to work well. If the soil is nllowed to dry until un-til it breaks up cloddy, much moisture will be lost, a good mulch cannot be obtained, ind harm is more likely to be done to the corn roots. As long as rapid evaporation is taking place, the surface will remain cold and the growth of the corn will be slow. In order to cover large areas quickly, cultivators cul-tivators which work two or more rows are a great advantage. The number of cultivations necessary neces-sary and the best time for them depend de-pend upon weather and soil conditions. Weeds should not be allowed to grow, and a mellow surface should be maintained. main-tained. In some seasons this may be effectually accomplished with one or two cultivations; in other seasons from four to six cultivations may be necessary. Nothing can be gained by continuing cultivation in cornfields free from weeds and in which the soil surface is mellow. When the surface is sufficiently suffi-ciently loose and dry to reduce evaporation, evap-oration, is open enough to prevent runoff, run-off, and no weeds are starting, a cultivation cul-tivation could do no good and if carelessly care-lessly performed would do injury to the corn. Object of Cultivation. Corn should be cultivated only when one or more objects will be accomplished accom-plished by the cultivation and when total to-tal effects will be more beneficial than injurious. The beneficial effects of cultivation are : (1) Preventing weeds-from robbing the corn of soil moisture and fertility. (2) Putting the surface in condition condi-tion to take in rainfall, thus preventing prevent-ing run-off and erosion, which mean losses of water and soli fertility. (3) Warming the soil by drying Its surface quickly. (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 the moisture of light showers before it evaporates ; and (2) Forming large clods and air spaces, thus permitting air to enter and dry the soil. |