CROPS 95 



not more than three deep. The bottom shelf should be at 

 least one foot from the floor to provide good air drainage. 



XXII. SWEET CORN 



Soils. Sweet corn can be grown successfully in any 

 fertile soil, but the best results are obtained in newly broken 

 sod land, or in sod land ploughed in the fall previous to 

 growing the corn. 



Planting. The earliest sweet corn brings the high- 

 est prices, the grower should therefore select such lands 

 as warm up earliest in the spring, and plant early, making 

 successive plantings until danger of frost is past, when the 

 undesired plants are hoed out. A succession of crops are 

 obtained by planting such varieties as will give succession, 

 or by planting one variety of corn at intervals during the 

 season. Sweet corn is usually planted in drills thirty inches 

 to four feet apart. The distance between plants in the rows 

 should vary with the variety from ten inches for the smaller 

 growing kinds to a foot or more for the larger growing kinds. 

 When grown in hills, two to three plants in a hill are 

 sufficient. 



Transplanting. Sweet corn can be transplanted suc- 

 cessfully and profitably if handled properly. The seed 

 should be planted in pots or baskets not over four weeks 

 previous to setting in the field. In transplanting, great 

 care must be taken not to disturb the roots. Two plants 

 in a three-inch pot are as many as should be grown Each 

 pot should provide plants for one hill. 



Fertilizer. Rotted stable manures applied at the rate 

 of 20 cords to the acre are very desirable sources of 

 plant food for corn. Chemical fertilizer containing 4% 

 nitrogen, 8% phosphoric acid and 10% potash should be 

 applied at the rate of 1000 to 2000 pounds per acre. 



