ExpCRiMKxTAL Work in Drv-Farming 



615 



TAULK LXXII. 1:i:aNS; SPACING TKST, SULPHUR SPRING 

 VALLEY DRV-PARM, 1915 



CORN 



The winter of 1913-14 was very dry, and, in spring, there was 

 insufficient moisture in the soil to warrant planting, which accord- 

 ingly, was delayed until the rainy season commenced early in July. 

 The seed bed had been prepared by plowing in the fall of 1913, and 

 by frequent harrowing. Part of the field had been in beans in 1912, 

 and the remainder was newly broken native sod. Experimental 

 work with ct)rn in 1914 was confined to variety testing. All plots 

 were grown under practically the same conditions, with minor va- 

 riations in soil quality, and were cultivated after every shower of 

 importance, four or five times in all. In Table LXXIII figures 

 under "grain" represent the unshelled corn and "stover" the sun- 

 dried plant after the grain had been removed. 



The dry condition of the ground in September, 1914, hastened 

 maturity of most of the corn varieties except Mexican June, which 

 instead of ripening, apparently became inactive until the middle of 

 October, when the moisture condition again became favorable. Re- 

 newed growth at this time prevented maturity until the crop was 

 killed by frost. Half Dent Drought Proof, White Australian, and 

 one plot of Strawberry corn were in shallow and somewhat gravelly 

 soil and were most aft'ected by drought, a large percentage of stalks 

 being killed outright. See Table LXXIII. The best plots of 

 White Flint, Hickory King, and Strawberry received a six-inch 

 flood July 2. 



In 1915 the highest yield was obtained from a plot of Mexican 

 June, while Saquai)u (an Indian variety). White Wonder, and Mo- 

 have were the next best varieties. Since 1915 was a rather dry 

 year, there were large numbers of barren stalks in plots of the 

 larger, American varieties : for exam])le. 20 per cent of the stalks in 



