TESTS AT STATESBORQ, GA. 49 



CONDITIONS FOR GROWTH. 



The land had been thoroughly plowed several weeks previous to 

 planting. Just before planting, furrows were opened with a large 

 shovel, which not only permitted planting below the level in moist 

 earth, but also helped to throw to one side hidden obstructions that 

 might interfere with a uniform thrust of the hand planters used. 



A marked wire was used to regulate both the spacing of the hills 

 in the row and the spacing of the stalks in the liills. 



The writer and his assistant planted all of the seed. Each man 

 carried seed for a certain member of the hill only, and together they 

 planted each hill. On removing the planter from the ground the 

 foot was placed upon the spot and the weight of the body was thrown 

 upon it in stepping forward to the next hill. Care was taken to 

 remove trash or any other obstruction that might interfere with 

 proper planting. 



Nine square feet per plant were allowed, so that very little compe- 

 tition for sunlight was possible among the plants. The rainfall was 

 abundant except for a week or 10 days previous to tassehng. A 

 liberal supply of commercial fertilizer was used. 



Abnormal growth (barrenness, smut, etc.) was very rare among 

 the plants, but there were missing members of some hills and a few 

 missing hills. However, in securing the data that follow, considera- 

 tion was taken only of hills that grew under normal conditions and 

 whose members seemed to have had equal opportunity and were 

 normal. 



MANNER OF HARVESTING. 



The harvesting was done by four men. One carried a notebook 

 and kept all of the records. Another carried a knife and selected and 

 cut the liills of a row that were suitable. The other two men took 

 the stalks as they were cut, one carrying the first member only and 

 the other carrying the second member only. 



The fodder was- thus collected and carried to the end of the rows 

 and there weighed, and the collective weights of the two members of 

 each hill were recorded separately. 



The ears were then separated from the stover, and the weight of 

 each together with the number of ears was recorded. 



MOISTURE IN GRAIN HARVESTED. 



Through the courtesy of the Office of Grain Standardization mois- 

 ture determinations were obtained of grain shelled from many ears 

 of each variety and each cross. The extreme variation among the 

 varieties and crosses was less than 2 per cent of moisture. The 

 shelled grain of Aldrich Perfection and Whelchel contained 16 per 



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