Rural School Leaflet 1023 



Seed com. — In New York State it is probably better to use seed corn 

 that is grown somewhere near by and acclimated to the region. Do not 

 try something that is new to the locality and not certain of maturity. 

 Corn varieties are sensitive to changes in location, and a well-bred, 

 acclimated variety is best for such a contest as this. The seeds should 

 be of good vitality in order to secure a full stand of plants. This is impor- 

 tant in growing a crop for high yield on one acre. 



Planting. — -For one acre of corn it may be best to plant the corn care- 

 fully in check rows with a hand planter; or you may use a horse planter 

 with which you have had experience and which you can regulate properly. 

 Remember that time saved in all the operations of corn-growing, including 

 planting, will lessen the cost of the crop. Corn planted in hills and check- 

 rowed may be less expensive to cultivate, although there is no certainty 

 that it will yield more than corn planted in drill rows and properly culti- 

 vated. Sow more seed than will be required to make a full stand of 

 plants. You will need to thin out the weaker ones, and some may be 

 damaged by insect enemies, birds, or animals. The best protective 

 coating to use on seed corn consists of coal tar well distributed through 

 the seed corn by stirring with a paddle. The tar is heated in order to 

 make it thin, and only a very little is needed to cover four quarts of seed. 



Cultivating. — The cultivation of a good corn crop must begin before 

 the corn is planted, that is, in the thorough preparation of the seed bed. 

 Before the corn is up, weed seeds will begin sprouting near the surface, 

 especially where footprints or wheel-tracks have pressed the soil down and 

 drawn moisture nearer the surface. On good corn land a weeder will help 

 save the moisture, and at the same time destroy sprouting weeds if used 

 on the corn rows. Weeding is most effectively done when the sunshine 

 is bright and the weather somewhat dry. The weeder may be used in 

 some cases every two or three days for two weeks after planting When 

 the corn rows can be seen, thorough and deep cultivation with horse 

 cultivators is necessary. Before the corn roots reach out into it, stir 

 the soil on each side of the row deeper than you planted the corn. This 

 will warm the soil. If the rows can be cultivated every week until the 

 corn tassels, gradually lessening the depth each time, it will hasten the 

 growth of the corn and help save the moisture which is so much needed 

 in the later stages The late cultivations, particularly, should be shallow, 

 and are meant to save the water rather than to kill weeds. Bushels of 

 corn are sometimes made by careful cultivation during midsummer. 

 A wet season may make it unnecessary and impossible to give these late 

 cultivations in the cornfield. 



Harvesting. — Your yield of corn is to be reckoned not merely on the 

 basis of the ears produced, but on the fodder yield as well. It is important, 



