477 



contiiining 4 per cent of nitrogen, 7 pur cent of potash, and 9.8 per cent 



of phosphoric acid, was sown broadcast at the rate of 1,000 i)ounds per 

 acre ; and on the third strip the same Jcrtilizer atthe rate of L',0'*** ponnds 

 per acre. Each strip was then snbdivided into six plats of nearly one 

 tenth acre each, with 4-foot spaces between them, making in all eighteen 

 plats. White Edge dent corn was planted on eleven plats, andlihode 

 Island White Cap, a small flint variety, on the remaining seven plats. 

 On the three plats rnnning across the sontliern end of the strips one 

 stalk was left standing to every 4 feet in the rows (rows 4 feet apart) ; 

 on the next three, one stalk to every 2 feet ; and one stalk, two stalks, 

 fonr stalks, and eight stalks to a foot on the remaining fonr rows of 

 plats, respectively. The crop was cnt, sampled, harvested, and weighed, 

 plat by plat. The tabulated data inclnde the gross weights of the 

 field-cured crops from each plat ; weight of dry matter in the same; total 

 amounts and i)ercentages of the different parts of the plant; the per- 

 centage composition of the field-cured crops of the several parts of the 

 plant, and of the dry matter in the field-cured crops; total amount of 

 each food ingredient produced on each plat; weight of the water-free 

 product and of the ash, albuminoids, fat, etc., in one hundred plants 

 grown at each of the distances named; pounds of nitrogen, phosphoric 

 acid, and potash contaiued in the crops per acre ; yield of water- free ears 

 and stover of the dent andof the flint corn; yield of the dent and flint 

 corn per acre; and the composition of the water-free crop and of the 

 sound kernels of dent and flint corn. 

 The following points were brought out by the experiment : 



(1) Maize of the flhit variety produced moat dry matter when the plants stood a 

 foot apart in the row. Thicker phiuting, as well as thinner planting, decreased the 

 yield. 



(•2) The dent variety produced most dry matter when the idantsstoodtwotoafoot 

 in the row. Thicker planting than this decreased the yield of dry matter. Tho 

 increased weight of gross yield noticed above with the thicker stand was wholly 

 ntade up of water. 



(■.5) The extra phosphate also increased in every case the dry weight of the crop. 



Vcighls of tlte scparaicparlsof the n-aler-frec mahe plant in the total crops. — (1) [With 

 the Hint variety] the yield of sound kernels, or dry shelled corn, increased steadily 

 with the thickness of 2»laiitiug up to a stand of two plants to tlie foot. The yield fell 

 off rai)idly when that limit was jjassod and eight plants to a foot produced no sound 

 kernels at all. The highest yield of dry matter was from planting a foot apart. 15nt 

 a thicker planting in this case yielded more sound kernels. Extra phosphate jtro- 

 duced some sound ears with the thickest planting. 



('2) Tiio yield of soft kernels followed tlio o])posite course. It was smallest where 

 the yield of sound kernels was largest and increased as the sound kernels decreased. 



{'A) The dry weiglit of loaves increased regularly with the thickness of planting and 

 was greatest where tiie stand was thickest. Tho extra phosphate decreased the yield. 



(4) The dry weight of stripped stalks increased with the thickness of planting np 

 to a stand of one plant to a foot — a distance which gave the largest yield of dry mat- 

 ter and then fell oft" with thicker planting, though the very closest planting gave 

 nearly as large a yield of dry canes as any other, and the extra phosphate nearly 

 doubled this yield. 



23455— No. 9 2 



