162 THE SOILS AND CEOPS OF THE FARM. 



In one experiment at the Georgia Experiment 

 Station a larger yield of dent corn was obtained where 

 2,184 stalks were raised per acre than by the thicker 

 planting. In another experiment, at the Connecticut 

 Experiment Station, a larger yield of dent corn 

 was obtained with 21,780 stalks per acre than by 

 thicker or thinner planting. In other words, the best 

 results with dent com were obtained in Connecticut, 

 with ten times as thick planting as in Georgia. 

 Experiments indicate that for the main belt, at the 

 rate of three or four stalks per hill, at a distance of 

 42 to 44 inches apart each way, is the most desirable 

 for the production of grain. Planting too thickly re- 

 duces the yield both by reducing the size of the ears 

 raised and by reducing the number of ears raised in 

 proportion to the number of stalks. If the largest 

 quantity of material is desired, stalks included, exper- 

 ience seems to indicate that from one-half to as much 

 more seed should be planted as where the grain is the 

 principal object. Of course, in any given locality 

 the larger-growing varieties need to be planted thinner 

 and the smaller varieties thicker to get the best 

 results. 



The Indian method of planting was to plant four 

 kernels in hills four feet each way. This method 

 they taught the colonists. The usual method in the 

 eastern states is to plant in drills. In the surplus 

 corn states the practice is divided, but the larger part 

 is planted in hills. The chief reason why corn is 

 planted in drills in the eastern states is that on ac- 

 count of the unevenness of the surface and the com- 

 parative smallness of the held, the check rowing 

 planters do not readily check straight cross rows, 



