606 BOARD OV AGUlCULTUlti:. 



HILLING VS. DRILLING. 



In a new country, the usual practice is to drill corn. With few of the 

 noxious weeds, with abundant soil fertility, the farmer was able to put in 

 more stallis in an acre than would be possible in hilled corn and the 

 results were generally satisfactory. However, as the most destructive and 

 harmful of weeds spread over the corn belt, it would be found difficult to 

 get rid of them in drilled corn. As the excessive moisture was drained 

 out of the soil by the continual cropping, the large number of stalks 

 became detrimental, so that the tendency is away from drilling bacli to 

 the old plan of planting in hills. 



Many farmers contend that by stringing out the liernels in the row of 

 drilled corn, that the stalli would produce better ears than in the hills. 

 With the idea of ti-ying to ascertain the fact, the Illinois Station carried 

 on a series of experiments for several years. The experiment was so 

 arranged that an equal amount of ground was given up to drill corn and 

 hill corn. The same number of stoclis in thTe hill were strung out in the 

 row of drilled corn. The corn was all thinned after planting so that we 

 secured an equal number of stalliS in the drilled field as in the hilled field. 

 The fields were kept free from weeds and the same cultivation given in 

 both cases. The experiment was repeated with different soils, varieties of 

 corn and season. As a result, we found in figuring up the average yields, 

 there was less than a bushel difference in the yields of the drilled and 

 hilled fields. Further experiments are in progress along this line, which 

 will add to the interest of the experiment. . But it is safe to say that there 

 is little difference in yields in the two practices and that one system has 

 little advantage over the other, up to four stalks in the hill. With im- 

 proved seed it is not necessary to plant this number of kernels in the hill. 

 In view of the great advantage of hilled corn, during cultivation, the 

 evidence is largely in favor of the practice of hilling. 



The depth of planting is another question, which varies with the soil 

 condition. Corn can be planted deeper in a sandy soil, which draws out 

 readily in the spring and warms up quicldy, than in the heavier clay soil. 

 The corn should be planted deep enough to secure sufficient moisture for 

 the best germination, but not so deep that it will be placed in a cold wet 

 soil where the kernel is liable to rot and decay and in any event, to pro- 

 tracted germination, which is injurious to the plant No matter what 

 depth the seed is planted, the roots branch out at about a constant dis- 

 tance from the surface. In ordinary prairie loam, the distance is between 

 two and three inches.. If the kernels are set down lower than this point, 

 it sends out a root system which develops a tube-like structure, reaching 

 to within two or three inches of the surface. At this point, the real root 

 system branches out, the stem of the plant is sent to the air, and the first 

 root system decays and is lost. Such a condition must result disastrously 

 to the young plants and reduce the yield of the crop. 



