212 CROP GROWING AND CROP FEEDING 



But it does require higher cultivation and heavier fertilization than the 

 field crop of grain. It is a more valuable crop, and will better repay the 

 heavy manuring than the common field corn, on which, at usual prices I 

 have often said that I could never make an application of a complete fertili- 

 zer pay. Corn of all kinds needs nitrogen and potash as the most important 

 constituents of a fertilizer mixture, and sweet corn needs richer soil and 

 heavier fertilizing than the field crop ; and as it is commonly grown for table 

 purposes it will pay to be liberal in the matter of manuring. It is just as 

 fond of humus in the soil as the common corn is, and is at home on a turned 

 sod of clover, or grass, or a pea stubble, as other corn is. As a fertilizer mix- 

 ture for sweet corn on good truck land I would suggest the following: Acid 

 phosphate, or bone black superphosphate, 900 pounds; cotton seed meal, or 

 fish scrap, 600 pounds; nitrate of soda, 100 pounds; muriate of potash, 400 

 pounds. On a good corn soil it will pay to use 500 pounds of this per acre, 

 where the corn is grown for seed purposes or for selling green. 



VARIETIES. 



These are numerous. The very early sorts are seldom of much value 

 anywhere, and are only of use in small. gardens. The earliest good sweet corn 

 is the Crosby, while in small gardens the Cory and First of All may be 

 useful in the North. The Black Mexican is a dark purplish grain corn, and 

 very sweet. For the market garden, however, the standards are Maule's XX 

 Sugar, Stowell's Evergreen and the Mammoth Sugar. The last two named 

 will do very well in the South if the seed is selected there for a few years. 

 Country Gentleman has also proven valuable in the South, and from it a 

 very fine Southern sweet corn might be selected. But so long as the Southern 

 people depend on buying sweet corn raised in the North they will never get 

 a good corn for their climate. 



