When corn reached knee high, it was customary among the agricultural Indians to hoe soil toward the corn stalk, forming a mound at the base of the plant. This process, called “putting the boots on the corn,” would support the plant, prevent wind damage, promote the production of buttress roots, and bury small weeds growing near the corn.

Paul Weatherwax, Indian Corn in Old America, New York: The Macmillan Co., 1954.