SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VIII. 717 



harrow thoroughly, see that the seed bed is well compacted before plant- 

 ing. Go over the ground with a harrow just before the seed is put in, 

 so that all weeds that have started will be killed. Plant in rows, much 

 as ordinary field corn. The rows must be three feet apart, with one stalk 

 about every six or eight inches in the row. Some varieties stool very 

 readily, producing occasionally twelve stalks from a single seed. If this 

 kind is chosen, care must be taken not to get it too thick. The tendency 

 is to drop too many seeds in a hill; consequently it is almost always 

 necessary to thin the young plants after they are well started. 



As the plants are small and weak at the start, it is always desirable 

 to delay the planting until the soil is well warmed up. Care must always 

 be taken at the first cultivation so as not to injure the young plants. 

 Give about the same treatment as corn, keeping the soil free of weeds and 

 well pulverized. The land should be well drained, as the crop will not 

 do well if excessive moisture is present. The crop may be thoroughly 

 ripened in the field, when it can be husked out and stored in a dry place 

 in barrels or bins so arranged that mice or rates cannot get at the ears. 

 Or the corn can be cut, tied in bundles, and stored in the field or on a 

 scaffold in the barn until work is not pressing, when it can be husked 

 at leisure. 



The best varieties for market are White Pearl and White Rice. The 

 White Rice is .small and rough and is considered very desirable for home 

 tKQ. White Pearl is very productive and is the standard market sort. 

 The variety called Golden Queen is exceedingly prolific and is said to be 

 profitable as a market crop. Amlier Rice is much like the White, except 

 its amber color. Where one can indulge in the luxury of having a 

 number of varieties this is a nice addition. 



There is a mistaken idea that the supply of pop-corn is not nearly 

 equal to demand. There is some variation. One year there may be a 

 shortage and another year a surplus. It varies just as other crops. Large 

 markets like Cincinnati, Columbus, Chicago, Philadelphia and New York 

 consume considerable quantities, and these cities are considered the best 

 The variety called Golden Queen is evceedinglj- prolific and is said to be 

 wholesale markets in the United States. The smaller towns are usually 

 supplied by local growers. 



The price varies considerably. In New York it ranges from $25 to $40 

 per ton, depending upon the variety and the amount on the market. In 

 Chicago the price also varies, depending largely upon the supply. For 

 car-load lots $1.2.5 and $1..50 per 100 pounds on the cob is usually con- 

 sidered a pretty good figure, while on the regular market prices range all 

 the way from $1 to $1.7.5 per 100 pounds, occasionally going slightly 

 liigher. This is at an average of $20 to $35 per ton. 



If the autumn has been very dry, the corn can be used the first season, 

 but as a rule it contains too much moi.sture and should be held over until 

 the next year. Keep it in a fairly dry place, well protected. If marketed 

 the same season it will generally not pop well, and this tends to lessen 

 the demand. The yield per acre varies considerably, the range being 

 TOGO to 2000 pounds. The smaller varieties, like rice, for instance, do 



