226 



THE CEREALS IN AMERICA 



thickest seeding gave the best results when the general average 

 of all plats was highest. The greatest average yield of grain 

 for five years was when i i,88o grains were planted. The total 

 average yield of grain for five years was not greatly affected by 

 rates of seeding varying from 9,504 to 23,760 grains per acre; 

 but the size of the ears was markedly different, the average 

 weight of ears being from one-third to one-half greater in the 

 thinner planting. The following table of results obtained at the 

 Illinois Station for three years (i 888-1 890) illustrates relation- 

 ships which have been more or less completely verified by other 

 stations which have investigated this subject.^ 



The more favorable the soil and climatic conditions are 

 for large yields of maize, the thicker the planting should be. 

 At the Illinois Station a seeding which produced from nine 

 thousand to twelve thousand ears per acre brought the largest 

 yield of grain when the conditions favored a general yield of 

 seventy-five bushels or more; and a seeding which produced 

 from eight thousand to nine thousand ears per acre gave the 

 largest yield of grain when the conditions favored a general 

 yield of forty to sixty bushels. Although varying somewhat with 

 the rate of planting, within ordinary limits about three grains 

 were planted for each two ears harvested. At the Missouri 

 Station,* on good land, the largest }'\e\d, seventy bushels, was 



1 111. BuL 13, p. 410. 



2 Mo. BuL 3t, 



