62 THE HANDBOOK FOR PRACTICAL FARMERS 



Uses of corn may be considered under three heads: (1) For 

 animal food; (2) for hmnan food; (3) for miscellaneous pur- 

 jDOses. Animal food is the chief use of corn, as ninety per cent 

 or more of the crop is disposed of in this way and it is due to this 

 use that both the animal industry and the great production of 

 corn have developed together in the Middle West. Corn is used 

 as human food in the forms of: (1) Roasting ears; (2) corn 

 meal for mush and bread; (3) pop corn; (4) cereal food; (5) 

 starch. For roasting ears and for canning, sweet corns are 

 best suited. The miscellaneous uses are: (1) Production of 

 alcohol from the grain; (2) production of paper, mattresses, and 

 door mats from the stalks and husks. 



Common disease and insect pests of corn. — Corn is less 

 injured by disease and insect pests than any other of our impor- 

 tant crops. It is especially free from attacks of all kinds of 

 fungi and bacteria but under certain conditions considerable 

 injury may be done by corn smut and certain ear rots. The 

 combined injuries from diseases seldom reaches one per cent. 

 As these diseases live over as spores on the infected ears, the 

 best control method is to gather and burn all diseased stalks 

 and ears. 



The most injurious insects are: (1) CutAvorms; (2) grub- 

 worms; (3) wire worms; (4) corn-root worms; (5) ear worms; 

 and (6) migratory insects (chinch bug, army worm, and grass- 

 hoppers). The first three insects are more abundant after sod 

 and may be controlled to a large extent by exposing the larvae 

 to freezing by late fall plowing. The corn-root worm is bad only 

 where corn is grown on the same field several years' in succes- 

 sion, and can therefore be controlled by crop rotation. The corn 

 ear worm damages the corn ears in the silk stage or later, not 

 only destroying grain but making easy the access of fungus 

 diseases. The greatest damage is probably to sweet corn in the 

 roasting-ear stage, producing unmarketable corn. The migra- 

 tory insects are not often very damaging to corn, but as in the 

 case of other crops, much damage is done in seasons very favor- 

 able for their development. The control methods for these 

 insects -wall be given under disease and insect pests of small 

 grains. 



WHEAT 



"Wheat, although fourth in importance in the United States, 

 is by far the leading crop of the world. It is the most important 

 food stuff of the leading peoples of the world, has served as a 



