CORN 



CORN 



849 



at the intersection of the rows will stand about 3 feet 

 4 inches to 3 feet 6 inches apart each way, and the corn 

 planted by a hand-planter, which each time it is thrust 

 into the ground drops from four to five kernels, which 

 is usually the number desired. Three feet apart is too 

 close to allow the cultivators to work easily. For large 

 fields, the check-row type of planter should be used. 

 These planters drop and cover the seed in hills at uni- 

 form distances apart, planting two rows at one trip 

 across the field. Two types of furrow-openers are now 

 used on corn-planters; these are the runner furrow- 

 openers and the disc furrow-openers. The former are 

 less satisfactory on sod land or in fields covered with 

 trash, as the runners will often ride out and leave the 

 seed uncovered. It is better to use the disc furrow- 

 opener on such land; besides opening the furrow better, 

 it also pulverizes the soil about the seed. Field corn is 

 often planted in drills by planters adapted to this pur- 

 pose, but sweet corn should be in hills so that the sur- 

 face of the ground may be kept loose and entirely 

 free from weeds. 



Till for the purpose of retaining soil-moisture as well 

 as to kill weeds. This requires frequent shallow cultiva- 

 tion, pulverizing the surface of the soil so that it will 

 act as a mulch to retard the evaporation of soil-mois- 

 ture. Tillage should begin as soon as the planting is 

 done, using the slanting-tooth harrow and the weeder 

 types of implements until the corn is nearly 6 inches 

 high, providing that the weeds are small and the ground 

 is in friable condition. After this time the spring-tooth 

 cultivators or the two-horse cultivators, having prefer- 

 ably three or four shovels on a side, are generally used, 

 depending somewhat upon the kind of soil to be culti- 

 vated. This type of two-horse cultivator is preferable 

 to the double-shovel type which was formerly much 

 used. The two-horse revolving disc cultivator is some- 

 times used in damp, weedy ground. One great objec- 

 tion to this type is that too much earth is thrown 

 toward the corn and the middles between the rows are 

 usually left either untouched or bare of the loose soil 

 which is needed for a mulch. For the later cultivations 

 the two-horse surface cultivator is coming more and 

 more into general use. 



Till at intervals of seven to ten days. At first the cul- 

 tivator may run from 2 inches deep near the plant to 

 4 inches deep midway between the rows. Each suc- 

 cessive cultivation should gradually increase in depth 

 towards the middle between the rows; throw 3^ inch 

 or more of earth towards the corn and cover the weeds. 

 At the last cultivation the cultivator may be kept a 

 little farther from the corn. It should leave the soil 

 pulverized to a depth of 2 to 3 inches over the entire 

 field. The earlier cultivation may be deepened, if 

 necessary, to kill weeds, even though some corn roots 

 are severed, but cutting the roots by deep cultivation 

 near the plants late in the season is to be especially 

 avoided. Till the soil until the corn gets so large as to 

 prevent the use of a two-horse cultivator. Occasion- 

 ally a later cultivation, with a one-horse cultivator, 

 may be necessary if heavy rains leave the surface soil 

 hard and start the weeds. Often catch-crops for late 

 pasturage, cover-crops or crops of winter wheat or rye 

 are sown in the cornfield and cultivated in with the 

 last cultivation. The seed is covered deeply by cultiva- 

 ting it in because the weather is apt to be dry at this 

 period. The lower part of the furrow-slice is thus left 

 compact, furnishing a compact seed-bed, in which small 

 grains delight. 



The cultivation of sweet corn in the garden should 

 follow the general lines indicated for field culture, but 

 stable manure and commercial fertilizers may be used 

 more liberally. Except on very fertile soils, it is well to 

 put a small amount of a complete commercial fertilizer 

 in each hill and mix it well with the soil before plant- 

 ing the corn. A fertilizer which has a large amount of 

 nitrogen in quickly available form should be chosen 



for this purpose. Dwarf early-maturing varieties may 

 be planted, for early use, as soon as the ground is 

 sufficiently dry and warm. A little later, when the 

 ground is warmer, the second-early main crop and 

 late varieties may be planted. Later successional 

 plantings insure a supply of green corn till frost kills 

 the plants. 



Corn is not grown commercially as a forcing crop. 

 Attempts to force it in winter have not given encour- 

 aging results, but it may be successfully forced in 

 spring, following any of the crops of vegetables which 

 are grown under glass, providing the houses are piped 

 so as to maintain the minimum night temperature at 

 65 F. Provide good drainage. Give a liberal application 

 of stable manure and thoroughly mix it with the soil. 

 In the latitude of New York the planting may be made 

 as early as the first of March. As soon as the first leaf 

 has unfolded, the temperature may be allowed to run 

 high in the sun, if the air is kept moist by wetting the 

 floors and walls. The glass need not be shaded. Keep 

 night temperature close to 65 F., not lower and not 

 much higher. After the silk appears, jar the stalks 

 every two or three days, when the atmosphere is dry, 

 and thus insure abundant pollination. Early maturing 

 varieties, like Cory, give edible corn in about sixty 

 days when thus treated. Corn may be .forced in the 

 same house with tomatoes, eggplant, and other vege- 

 tables which require similar range of temperature. 



Varieties of sweet corn. 



Some of the desirable varieties for the garden, the 

 market, and for canning are listed below. These varie- 

 ties are named to show the range of variation and to 

 indicate the leading groups or types, rather than to 

 recommend these particular kinds. New varieties are 

 continually supplanting the old. 



For the home garden. Extra-early: Golden Bantam, 

 an extra-early sort, has recently become very popu- 

 lar, on account of its productiveness, good flavor, and 

 desirable size for table use, and because the kernels 

 separate very easily from the cob; many plant it in 

 succession so as to cover the entire season with this 

 variety alone. Peep o'Day and Minnesota are other 

 good extra-early varieties. Second-early: Early Crosby; 

 Early Evergreen. Medium or standard season: Hickox 

 Improved, Stowell Evergreen, White Evergreen. Late : 

 Black Mexican, Country Gentleman. 



For market. Extra-early: Cory (red cob), White 

 Cob Cory, and Extra-Early Adams, which, though not a 

 sweet corn, is largely grown for early use. This last- 

 named variety is recommended in the South because 

 of its comparative freedom from the attacks of the ear 

 worm. Second-early: Shaker, Crosby, Early Champion; 

 Early Adams also is extensively grown for market, 

 though not a true sugar corn. Midseason and Late: 

 Stowell Evergreen, Country Gentleman, Late Mam- 

 moth, Egyptian. 



For canning. Stowell Evergreen is the standard 

 variety for canning factories everywhere. Country 

 Gentleman is also grown to a considerable extent for 

 fancy canned corn. .Other varieties that are used for 

 canning include Early Evergreen, White Evergreen, 

 Egyptian, Potter Excelsior, and Hickox Improved. 



Diseases and pests of sweet corn. 



The most widespread and destructive disease of corn 

 in the United States is the smut produced by the para- 

 sitic smut-fungus, Ustilago Zest. The sorghum-head 

 smut, Ustilago Reiliana, also attacks maize. Smut 

 causes most injury when it attacks the ears. The 

 grains are transformed into a mass of dark-colored 

 smut spores, and become exceedingly swollen and dis- 

 torted out of all semblance to their normal outlines. 

 Infection may take place at any growing point of the 

 plant from early till late in the season, hence treat- 

 ment of seed corn by fungicides is of no value as a 



