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27 



CORN. 



The season of 1903 was not snfficiently dry in the vicinity of Colum- 

 bia to show any remarkable differences between irrigated and unirri- 

 gated crops. The actual irrigation of corn was not begun until 

 August 14. Up to that time moisture conditions had been fairly 

 favorable for the development of the corn crop. From the above 

 date the water was turned on from a f-inch pipe and was allowed to 

 run continuously for two weeks. In nearly every case the irrigated 

 plats gave larger yields than those not irrigated. Computing the 

 yields per acre from the plat yields we find that the irrigated corn 

 produced at the rate of 63.5 bushels of grain and 4,030 pounds of 

 stover per acre, and the unirrigated at the rate of 58.3 bushels of 

 grain and 4,315 pounds of stover per acre. This is a difference of 5.2 

 bushels of grain and 315 pounds of stover per acre in favor of irriga- 

 tion. The influence of irrigation upon corn is not limited entirely to 

 the gross yields per acre. The irrigated corn seemed to be better 

 filled and the individual grains were plumper. The irrigated coru 

 was considerably slower in maturing than the unirrigated. Tlie 

 stalks grew taller on the irrigated than on the unirrigated plats. 

 The water used in this experiment was surface water from a pond. 

 It is believed that the results would have been considerably more 

 favorable for the irrigated plats if the irrigation had been started 

 earlier. 



