VOL. LVII.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., MARCH 15, 1902.
NO. 11
Cultivatiner the Com Crop from Start to
Finish.
[Head before the KeeetrlOaVkal  County Cum  Growers'Associatioii, Saturday, April 6th, 1M1, by K.
F. Diehl.
The object of corn cultivation is three
iold: To destroy weeds, to make available latent soil fertility and to conserve
moisture. In a wet season- the main object is to kill weeds. Don't forget that
weeds rob the soil of plant food and moisture that the corn will need, and need
badly in a dry season. If the fore part
.•I the season be wet, and the latter part
dry, especially at earing time, which is
usually the case, the damage from weeds
may equal half the value of the corn crop.
The time to kill weeds is before they become such in a damaging sense—immediately after they germinate.
A rain followed by warm sunshine furnishes the ideal conditions for weed seed
germination, and also the best possible
conditions for killing them by thoroughly
stilting the surface at the right time—
jr.st as soon as the ground crumbles nicely when stirred. Remember too, this is the
best time for making the moisture-saving
mulch. If I can impress the importance
of an after a-rain cultivation on the minds
at farmers so forcibly that they will not
miss an opportunity of stirring the soil
as soon- as it is workable, I will feel repaid for my paper, and they will be wel'
paid, too, for they can thus attain all three
objects of corn cultivation at one operation.
When the corn is small this can be done
ouickly and effectively with a weeder,
nnd if you don't use the weeder at such a
time it isn't of much practical value as a
corn cultivator. If weeds get a good start
ii n implement must be used that will cut
[■nd cover, and if operated to thoroughly
destroy the weeds will do the young corn
much damage. The adage, "A stitch in
time saves nine," is never more applicable than in corn and potato culture.
The question of conserving and saving
soil moisture is becoming a vital one
among fanners. The more rapid drying
of the soil after rains than formerly in
this part of the country may be attributed
to a comlina;ion of causes, <he principal
of which are: Clearing of the forests and
such a system of drainage as gets rid of
the surface water more quickly. But at
present these are regarded in the light of a
necessity, hence must lie endured and
dher means sought to counteract their effects. Nature has provided two ways by
which the farmer can in a great measure
accomplish this. First, by filling the soi'
with humus or decaying vegetable matter
which acts like a spong>; in both absorbing
aud holding moisture. Second, by providing a mulch of vegetable matter when-
tver possible as nature does; or in the case
of cultivated crops provide an earth mulch
of loose surface soil to check the upward
how and escape of soil moisture by capillarity.
Probably a little explanation may be
liecessary to clearly understand why a
loose soil checks loss of soil moisture.
Water sinks into the soil by gravity or
its own weight, but a point is finally
reached in the soil's saturation above the
water level where all moisture above this
bed of water adheres to the particles of
soil, and when the surface begins to dry
by evaporation this film of moisture snr-
lounding the soil particles moves upward
just as oil does in a lamp wick, and this
upward flow is termed capillarity or movement by capillary attraction. In the
case of the wick the greater the flame
burning the oil, the quicker will the oil
reservoir  be  emptied:   so  too,   the  more
rapid the evaporation of moisture from
ihe surface of the soil by drying winds,
Ihe quicker will the supply required for
normal plant growth be diminished to a
point where plants suffer for necessary
fcod; for tho plant's food is supplied
through the water extracted from the soil
by its root system and plenty of soil
moisture, and this explains why mutilation of the roots should be avoided and
moisture saved by proper cultivation.
Every farmer knows that deep, late cultivation is detrimental to the corn, especially in a dry season, therefore don't
do it, even if your father did in an earlier
day when the soil  was  rich enough and
draw water from a wide area, and developing an enormous pumping surface in
its many long and broad leaves which expel the water after the plant has appropriated the food material. But too
often at this critical time we have not
only dry weather, but ground that has not
been stirred for a few weeks and in perfect condition for wasting moisture. The
farmer that can manage to stir his corn
ground through wheat harvest time, especially after rains, is not the lucky man,
but the prudent one.
On some soils—on clay not too fine and
well filled with humus—a thin crust forms
after a heavy rain which in drying con-
Plan of round barn and silo combined, with feeding capacity for 70 head of cattle
held sufficient moisture to quickly repair
such a surgical operation.
The upward movement of soil moisture
is only possible when the particles touch
each other, and the finer and more closely
packed the more perfect is the capillary
action, and this condition of the soil to
within five inches of the surface is necessary for the best results, to enable the
moisture to rise freely and accumulate in
the surface soil just above the subsoil
where most of the plant food and feeding
roots are found.
The new doctrines of dust mulch, loose
soil mulch, frequent and shallow cultivation, are based upon the theory or rather
established facts, that loose soil filled with
air spaces, breaks in a great measure capillary connection between the compact
under soil and loose top soil. But erery
rain sufficient to thoroughly wet and settle this loose soil mulch, makes capillarity
perfect to the surface of the ground and
this moisture passes off into the air very
rapidly—a few hot, dry, windy days pumping up and dissipating an enormous
amount of water, which the corn may
badly need before being refreshed by another rain, hence the necessity of stirring
the ground to save as much as possible
of this life-giving but wasting water.
The most critical period in corn growing is at earing time when it needs the
most water to supply the necessary lood
for growing the ear in a short time, and
tracts and lies loosely on the moist soil
just beneath. This forms a good mulch,
and happy should the farmer be who has
this kind of soil and is too busy to stir
it after every rain.
A Complete Feeding: Barn.
Editors Indiana Fanner:
With your permission and the aid of
the accompanying cut I will endeavor to
present for consideration what may properly be called a new idea in barn construction. To Prof. King, of the Wisconsin
Experiment Station, belongs the credit
of introducing the cylindrical barn, (so far
as I am able to determine.)
Since the first round barn was
built in about 1898 a few of
our most progressive farmers have
v.ntnicd to try the experiment
nnd so far as I can learn, are very enthusiastic in their praise. Since the experimental stage of the silo has long since
past, and on account of the cylindrical
shape of most silos, the round barn becomes the most easily adapted for use in
r.iMS of stock barns with silo connected.
By consulting the accompanying cut one
can readily see how nicely the one fits the
other. Among the many advantages that
can be claimed for the round barn and silo
combined is the convenience of feeding
and caring for the stock. In the plan presented I have contemplated the extensive
stock raiser, the man who will most likely
for this very purpose all its former life j appreciate the arrangement. In this barn
was devoted to growing a root system to   70 head of grown cattle can easily stand
aud eat from one continuous manger and
one man could feed this number in 30 to
40 minutes, owing to the close proximity
to the cattle, and the easy access to feed,
both from silo and mow.
The cattle could be turned into a lot
while the feed is being distributed and the
floor cleaned off, or in case of severe cold
weather, by a system of double gates the
stock could easily be shifted fromonepoint
to another, for mind you, these 70 head
of cattle do not take up all the room in
this barn by any means.
The circular driveway admits you to
all parts of the barn directly, thus making
the cleaning out a very easy operation
which in this case would be once per day.
With a good cement floor think of the
fertilizer that would get in the course of
a winter's feeding.
With the cylindrical plan the capacity
can easily be adjusted to the requirements
of small feeders as well as the most extensive ones. These barns built on a peculiar system of construction as they are,
can be increased in diameter to almost any
desired size, all the time reducing the cost
in proportion to capacity. It will be
noticed that there are no posts in this
barn, and one would naturally ask how
do you carry your purline plate and your
great mow. This is a geometric conundrum. You suggest is it a truss work?
No. Is the roof built in an arch or crown?
No. The roof is a cone, so to speak.
Some will ask if the cylindrical barn can
be adapted to general use, in stabling
horses, etc. I answer yes by building
two stories, which would be more desirable
for stock feeding anyway, especially if
your location is on a side hill, or where
you can make a grade handily.
Another may ask can you mow away
hay as easily as in old style barns. Yes,
easier, by means of a simple circular
graded track. I wish to impress any who
may feel disposed to criticise the plan
that in the drawing I have submitted
I have intended it as strictly a cattle, or
cattle and sheep barn. However, one can
easily see how nicely the arrangement
could be made to suit the combination
plan where one wished to shelter feeding
(teens, milch cows and sheep, as they
would be separated by means of folding or
swinging gates, as I have indicated on
plan.
In the plan submitted, 70 head of three-
year old steers can stand and eat all at the
same time, as I have allowed 20 inches
for each space, which is two inches more
than  is  usually allowed.
As the cylindrical barn is a new departure in construction, I do not presume
that the plan represents perfection by any
means, but with the aid of practical feeders, farmers and dairymen who I hope
will suggest features of improvement, I
thing we can soon say the question ot
stock feeding has been solved.
I will be glad to answer any questions,
through the "Farmer." that may present
themselves to practical men, who feel
interested, either on the subject of barn
construction and arrangement of farm
buildings of any nature.
Warrington, Ind. Benton Steele.
The fertility of Egyptian soil is illustrated by the fact that every one of 10,500
square miles can support 928 persons,
whereas even in densely populated Belgium there are only 580 to the square mile.
* -a> a m .
A remarkable coincidence about the
death of General Eawton was that he was
killed by Filipinos under a native chief of
the same name as an Apache chief fighting against whom Lawton won his spurs