CORN VARIETY TESTS FOR 1915. 



By U. Y. WiMEKS, G. M. Gakukn, amj Buxton Wiim:. 



OuK Corn Chop. 



The 1015 corn crop of the State is estimated at 64,050,000 bushels, 

 an average yield of 21 bushels per acre. Compared with the estimated 

 yield for 19i;3 this shows an increase of 1.5 bushels per acre. This 

 amount seems small when the increase for one acre is considered; but it 

 amounts to an increase of 4,500,000 bushels in the corn crop of the 

 State. The average corn yield for the State is less by 7.2 bushels per 

 acre than that of the entire country. When one compares the present 

 average yield for the State with yields from individual fanns or even 

 the average for the country it indicates our future possibilities. 



Most of our increase in corn yield has come from the use of better 

 methods of culture, rotations, and the more intelligent use of fertilizers. 

 Our energies have been used to make the soil a' better place for growing 

 corn. ^lore recently Ave have learned to improve the seed.s so that they 

 will produce better crops on these soils. Some varieties are better 

 producers than others and certain plants of each variety are better pro- 

 ducers than others. With this in mind, one should secure the best 

 variety and save seed from its best plants. It is the object of this 

 T^ULLETiN to suggest 3 few of the best corn varieties for the different sec- 

 tions of the State. 



The Corn Variety Tests. 



Twenty-four of corn varieties were grown for comparison at six of the 

 State Test Farms. "With the exception of two extra varieties at the Ire- 

 dell Farm, the same varieties were grown at each of the farms. The 

 varieties were planted in duplicate series which together made one- 

 twentieth of an acre. The rows were made four feet apart and the seed 

 were dropped by hand at intervals of two feet. The plants were thinned 

 to one stalk per hill. 



Thk Varikties. 



Among the varieties tested are two strains of yellow corn and twenty- 

 two of white. One of the yellow corns, Jarvis' Golden, is a two-eared 

 corn, and the other, Wyatt's Improved Yellow, is a one-eared corn. The 

 twenty-two white corns include a few large one-eared varieties, several 

 medium to large two-eared varieties and several of the smaller prolific 

 varieties. The varieties are listed in Table I, according to the average 

 number of ears per stalk. The values for average number and weight 

 of ears per stalk is an average of results from five of the test farms. 



