154 VEGETABLE GARDENING 



for popping purposes. These classes will all cross together. 

 But there are numerous varieties in each of the classes, 

 varying from one another in height of stalk, size and color 

 of the ear and kernel, time of ripening, and various minor 

 particulars. The color of the grains may be white, yellow, 

 red, or purple, but white and yellow are most common. 

 Corn is quickly improved by judicious selection, and new 

 varieties are frequently originated in this way. 



Early Sweet Corn. For early use the seed should be 

 sown as soon as the ground begins to get warm in the spring. 

 Very early planting is not desirable for the main crop, 

 since in cold , wet weather the seed is liable to rot in the 

 ground, or the plants may be frozen on coming up. It 

 may, however, be desirable to plant some of the earliest 

 kinds as soon as the weather is warm, and, slelecting the 

 most favorable location, run the risk of failure, as the 

 profits are correspondingly large if the crop is very early, 

 while the expense of planting is a small matter. Early 

 varieties may .sometimes be planted in flower pots, 

 berry boxes, etc., in a greenhouses or cold frame and 

 transplanted to the garden when danger of frost is past. 



Main Crop. The main crop of corn should be planted 

 from the middle to the last of May. The land can hardly 

 be too rich for corn, and it should be in a finely pulverized 

 condition. The seed may be planted in rows at about nine- 

 inch intervals, with rows three to four feet apart, or in 

 hills three to four feet apart each way, according to the 

 growth of the plants and method of cultivation to be 

 followed. It should be covered about two inches. If 

 grown in hills, three or four plants should be left in a place, 

 which means planting about six seeds to the hill. If 

 planted in hills, they may be cultivated both ways, which 

 is an advantage over planting in rows. In rows, however, 



