14 FORAGE CROPS. 



days during the summer months is not much less 

 than the average much further south ; hence corn 

 grows almost as quickly at that period in the north- 

 ern states as in the states included in the lower 

 Mississippi basin. But in the states that lie 

 along the northern boundary, the whole season 

 of growth is so short that the large and slow- 

 maturing varieties of corn cannot always be ripened 

 in the areas adjacent to the Canadian border. 

 Nor can the ripening of some of the small varieties 

 always be depended on. But there is always time 

 enough to grow a crop of corn forage, and to pasture 

 it off before it is liable to be stricken down by frost. 



In the northern states in proximity to the sea, 

 both east and west, the period without frost is longer 

 than with the states inland, but the summer heat is 

 also less, more especially on the Pacific side of the 

 continent; hence the growth of the corn is much 

 slower. It is not improbable that corn sown at the 

 proper season at Duluth, would be as far advanced 

 in six to eight weeks from the time of planting as the 

 same kind of corn would be at Puget Sound in ten to 

 tw r elve weeks from the time of planting. 



At St. Paul, Minn., there is ample time to grow 

 two crops of corn to provide forage in succession on 

 the same land in the average season. In the Gulf 

 states, therefore, there should be ample time to grow 

 as many more crops in succession within the year, 

 providing ample moisture is present. Hence, in this 

 way in the "sunny south" a very large quantity of 

 corn forage could be obtained in one season from a 

 piece of land. 



In portions of the semi-arid region adjacent to 

 the Rocky mountains on the eastern side, corn forage 



