VARIETY TESTS OF CORN 



By R. y. WINTERS and J. H. HALL, Jr., Division of Agronomy. 



The corn crop in Noi'th Carolina for 1916 is estimated to be 53,650,- 

 000 bushels. This is a decrease of 10,300,000 bushels as compared with 

 the very large yield for 1915. This difference is no doubt due largely 

 to three factors : the increased cost of commercial fertilizers and the 

 consequent smaller amounts used; the unfavorable weather conditions, 

 in the nature of a drouth, which existed over the State from April 9 to 

 May 15; and the floods which occurred in the summer, completely de- 

 stroying a large portion of the corn crop in the western section and 

 materially affecting the yields in other localities. 



Aside from the increased yields following improved cultural methods, 

 systematic crop rotations, etc., the corn yield for the State could be 

 largely increased by the intelligent practice of selecting the varieties 

 which give the highest yield of good corn in the different sections of the 

 State. The Experiment Station has been conducting variety tests with 

 corn for the past several years, in order to furnish corn growers reliable 

 information regarding the yields of corn varieties on the different types 

 of soil and under different climatic conditions existing in the State. 

 During the past two years a special effort has been made to locate other 

 good varieties within the State. Some of the new varieties have yielded 

 well on the test farm of their locality, while others have given very poor 

 yields. As a result of these tests, a few growers have discarded their 

 old varieties and have replaced them with varieties which have shown 

 up best in the tests conducted nearest them. 



Forty-two varieties, in all, were tested on six of the State Test Farms 

 last year. There were also two cooperative tests made, one at Terra 

 Ceia and one at Elizabeth City. 



In all cases uniform plats were chosen, so that any differences in 

 yields would be due entirely to differences in the varieties. The varie- 

 ties were planted in duplicate series, which together made one-twentieth 

 of an acre. (The series at the Iredell Test Farm was only one twenty- 

 fifth of an acre, rather than one-twentieth.) The corn was planted in 

 rows 4 feet apart, and was dropped, by hnnd, 2 feet in the drill. It 

 was later thinned to one stalk to the hill. 



THE VARIETIES 



Among the forty-two varieties tested there were three varieties of 

 yellow corn, the remainder being white. The varieties included large 

 one-eared, intermediate, and the small many-eared corns. 



