CORN 125 



Building Silos. After that, farmers began to dig 

 pits in the ground to keep feed green. Such pits 

 were called silos, and to-day they are made above 

 ground of cement or wood and placed flear the cattle 

 barns (Fig. 68). Cattle will eat more silage than 

 fodder, and cows fed on it give more milk. When 

 corn is grown for the silo it is planted about one 

 stalk every seven inches, in rows three and one-half 

 feet apart. 



Com a Treasure. Corn is the backbone of farm- 

 ing in our country. Not only is it good for live 

 stock of all kinds, but it feeds more people than 

 any other grain except rice. Many useful things 

 are made from corn besides the fodder, grain, and 

 meal for feeding. The silks are used in the making 

 of filters, and corn husks are made into mattresses. 

 Pith is used for the packing of cofferdams of battle- 

 ships. Oil, varnish, starch, alcohol, and many other 

 articles are made from corn. There is one factory 

 in the United States that makes forty-two different 

 corn products. 



QUESTIONS 



(1) Which has meant more to the world the riches of 

 the Indies or the golden corn? (2) Why? (3) Why 

 was corn more necessary to the early pioneers than wheat 

 or barley? (4) What makes land in the corn belt so 

 valuable? (5) What is the best way to choose seed 

 corn? (6) Why does plowing ground when it is wet 

 injure it? (7) What harm is done by cultivating corn 

 deep after it is waist high ? 



For exercises, problems and experiments, refer to the 

 Appendix. 



