Corn Culture in the South 



By J. Oscar Morgan, Ph. D. 



Professor of Agronomy, Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, 

 College Station, Texas 



THE South'* Corn Crop— The fact that 

 the South produces annually nearly a bil- 

 lion bushels of corn, valued at more than 

 a half-billion dollars, and this from an 

 average yield of only twenty bushels per 

 acre, makes plain the great future pos- 

 sibilities of this section as a corn-grow- 

 ing region. An increased yield per acre, 

 rather than a greater acreage, is the most 

 urgent need of Southern corn growers. 



The Factors in Corn Production — 



The essential factors in successful corn 

 production are good land well prepared, good seed, good care of 

 the crop, and a favorable season. The two factors that are 

 most responsible for the low yield of corn in the South are 

 poor soil badly prepared, and poor seed. In this article only the 

 soil and its preparation, together with cultural methods, will be 

 discussed. 



Soils Best Adapted to Corn— Few crops are grown on so 

 great a variety of soils as corn. It is best adapted to well 

 drained, alluvial, river-bottom soils. Swamp lands that have 

 been well drained, and deep, upland^oils containing rather large 

 amounts of organic matter, are excellent for corn. Owing to its 

 extensive leaf surface, corn transpires a large amount of water; 

 hence the soil upon which it is grown must have a high water- 

 holding capacity, thus enabling the plants to get water rapidly 

 even during periods of drouth. Very compact clay soils or 

 extremely loose sands are not suitable for corn. 



Corn Best Grown in a Rotation— The continuous growth 

 of corn on the same land is almost certain to result in a poor 

 soil and consequently an unprofitable yield. With heavy appli- 

 cations of barnyard manure and commercial fertilizers it is pos- 

 sible to produce good yields for a long series of years, but this 

 method is rather expensive, and greatly cuts down the profits. 

 Few farms produce manure enough to practice such a system 

 successfully. If fertilizers alone are depended upon to keep up 

 the yields, the soil soon becomes deficient in organic matter, 

 runs together and becomes compact, and an increasing amount 



