n8 



THE BOOK OF CORN 



support more plants than can be grown in hills. In 

 this case it is good practice to drill in order to use up 

 the fertility of the soil which might otherwise be lost in 



the atmosphere or 

 through leaching. 

 When corn is 

 grown for a soil- 

 ing or forage crop 

 drilling is desir- 

 able. In this case 

 ears are not 

 sought, but the ob- 

 ject is to secure 

 the largest possi- 

 ble amount of fol- 

 iage. This can be 

 done by drilling 

 the seed closely in 

 the rows. 



Fig 30— Homemade Corn Planter 



A very satisfactory corn planter is here 

 shown. Make a frame, a, like a wheelbarrow 

 frame and three inches longer than the pan used. 

 Take a tin pan and put on the axle of the wheel- 

 barrow against the wheel b. The hole in the 

 center of the pan must be in the center and 

 must fit the axle. Put into the flaring side 

 of the pan inch openings the shape of the 

 end of your thumb, only do not remove the 

 piece of tin. Leave one side hanging so that 

 you can spring it open or push it shut, to regu- 

 late the dropping of the corn. Make these 

 openings three or four inches apart, then open 

 them or shut them, according as you want the 

 corn dropped. By wheeling this barrow along 

 in your marked field it can be easily adjusted to 

 drop as many kernels as desired. The pan is 

 filled through a two-inch hole, c, in the board 

 wheel. This is subsequently closed with a 

 swing slide, d. The corn may be covered with 

 a harrow across the rows or other suitable im- 

 plement. 



LISTING CORN 



This method is 

 followed with suc- 

 cess in some of 

 the western states, 

 as Kansas, Nebras- 

 ka and Minnesota. 

 In this case the soil 

 is a loose, sandv 



loam, which dries 

 out early in the spring and the water percolates through 

 it quickly after a rainfall. In many cases where listing 

 is followed successfully, there is a scarcity of moisture 

 in the soil for germination. Therefore it is necessary 

 to get the seed down in the soil in order to secure 

 enough moisture for proper germination. The general 



