561 



cnltiv.itcil plat. The plat which had no cultivation aftur planting, except that the 

 weeds were removed by scraping with a sharp hoe, yielded more each season than 

 the average of the deep-cultivated phits; and in but two instances, once in 1889 and 

 once in 18'J0, did any one of the deep-cultivated plats yield more than the plat not 

 cultivated. These experiments indicate that any cultivation of the soil which 

 effectually removes the weeds, and at the same time disturbs the roots as little as 

 possible, is the best, and that on this soil the stirring of the ground beyond what is 

 necessary to kill the weeds is of little, if any, benetit. Undoubtedly it is better to 

 disiurb some roots than to allow weeds to grow. 



Pruning the roots of corn to the depth of 4 inches, 6 inches from the stalk, has 

 reduced the yield 1(5 and 2'i per cent in 1889 and 1890, respectively. The reason that 

 root pruning reduced the yield to a greater extent than deeji cultivation is proba- 

 bly that the root pruning was done on all four sides of the hill at each pruning. 

 The depth at 6 inches from the plant has been determined with 251 roots, and 174 

 were found to be 4 inches or less from the surface; 108, 3 inches or less from the sur- 

 face. In other words, a cultivator running 4 inches deep would disturb about 70 

 percent of the roots, and at 3 inches about 43 per cent. Of 115 roots on four plants 

 examined June 21 and 28, the end, or the point where broken, of 54 was 12 or more 

 inches deep ; of 33, 18 or more inches deep ; and of 17, 24 or more inches deep. 



Twelve trials have been made of the etfeet upon a corn crop of fertilizers when 

 applied to the prairie soil of Illinois. No practical benefit was obtained from the 

 use of commercial fertilizers. The increased yields from the use of stable manure 

 probably repaid the cost of the application and left some profit; but clearly the 

 value of stable manure was not equal to the estimates often made, based upon the 

 cost of commercial fertilizers containing the same amount of plant food. 



Good crops of corn have been raised during the past 3 years from laud which 

 has now been in corn for 15 successive years, and has received no manure of any 

 kind; while somewhat better crops have been raised where the land has been in 

 corn but one third the time, and in timothy and clover one half the time. 



GAKDEN experiments WITH SWEET-CORN, 1890, T. J. BURRILL, 



Ph. D., and G. W. McUluer, B. S. (pp. 432-443). 



Experiment No. 49. — Sweet-corn, test of varieties. — This is a continmi- 

 iioii of ail exi)eiiineiit previously reported in Bulletins Nos. 4 aud 8 of 

 the station (See Experiment Station Record, Yol. I, p. 33, aud Vol. II, 

 p. 19). 



The grouping of sweet-corn, described in Bulletins Nos. 4 and 8, has been revised 

 so as to bring together those so-called varieties that were nearly enough the same 

 to appear to justify such a classification. Several of the varieties still left as dis- 

 tinct are so much alike that for all practical purposes they might be considered the 

 same. There are but very few varieties so distinct that each does not approach one 

 or more other varieties so nearly that the line of separation is very faint. The method 

 of selection is evidently dilierent among the various seed growers, and their facili- 

 ties for kee[)ing varieties separate must in many cases be very imperfect, since w^e 

 get from the same dealer in ditferent years seed under the same name, but differin"- 

 80 much as not to bo recognized as the same. * * * 



According to the tests so far made, there are still 49 varieties of sweet-corn distinct 

 enough to be left separate. Of these there are several in each group so much alike 

 that it would not pay to grow more than one of them at <a time. 



Dreer's, a selection from Cory, is the earliest coru. It does not all ripen at the 

 same time, and will afford a supply until something better can be had. Ford's or 

 Crosby would be selected for the next early variety. Ford's is very similar to Min- 

 nesota, but larger, clearer in color, and of bette; ((uality. Crosby has ten to four- 

 teen rows of kernels, is below medium size, white, and of very good quality. 



