850 



CORN 



CORN 



remedy for corn smut. The destruction of smutted 

 parts of the plants, and taking especial care that the 

 smut does not become mixed with manure which is 

 used for the corn crop, are measures which may be 

 expected to lessen the prevalence of the disease. No 

 remedy is known. 



Another disease of sweet corn in the United States is 

 the bacterial blight caused by Pseudomonas Stewartii. 

 It has been found in New York, New Jersey, and Michi- 



1060. Golden Bantam sweet corn. 



gan, but thus far has been seriously destructive only 

 on Long Island on early dwarf varieties of sweet corn. 

 It is characterized by wilting and complete drying of 

 the whole plant, as if affected by drought, except that 

 the leaves do not roll up. The fibro- vascular bundles 

 become distinctly yellow, and are very noticeable 

 when the stalk is cut open. The disease attacks the 

 plant at any period of growth, but is most destructive 

 about the time the silk appears. No remedy is known. 



These two diseases are of the most economic impor- 

 tance in the United States. Two others of somewhat 

 minor importance which deserve mention are rust and 

 leaf blight. The leaf-blight fungus causes round, 

 brownish, dead spots on the foliage. The maize rust, 

 Puccinia sorghi, is found principally where rainfall is 

 abundant. It is rather common throughout the corn- 

 belt. The fungus is similar in nature to that which 

 causes the rust of small grains. It cannot be controlled 

 economically. 



Over 200 species of insects are known to be injurious 

 to corn, either to some part of the growing plant or to 

 the stored product. The corn-ear worm, known South 

 as the cotton-boll worm, is especially injurious to sweet 

 corn. It burrows in tender green corn, ruining the ear 

 for either canning or market purposes. It is known to 

 do serious damage as far north as western New York 

 and central Iowa. Recent experiments in dust-spraying 

 promise well. Spraying is done weekly, beginning 

 when silks appear, using equal weight powdered lead 

 arsenate and lime. Shallow fall plowing to kill pupae 

 is a partial remedy. Wire-worms, northern corn-root 

 worms, white grubs, and certain other grass insects, 

 attack corn plants. One of the best preventive meas- 

 ures is to plan the rotation so that corn does not 

 immediately follow any cereal or grass crop. 



Pop-corn (Zea everta, Sturt.). Fig. 1058. Pop-corn 

 is characterized by the excessive proportion of the 

 corneous endosperm and the small size of the kernel 

 and ear. The kernel split laterally shows the chit and 

 corneous matter enveloping, and in some cases a fine, 

 starchy line. The small size of the kernel and the 

 property of popping makes identification certain. 

 This species-group extends throughout North and South 

 America and has claims for prehistoric culture. 



The preparation of the ground recommended for 

 sweet corn holds for pop-corn. Tillage should be 

 started early in the spring to conserve as much of the 

 soil-moisture as possible, thus protecting the crop 

 against possible injury from drought later in the 

 season. 



On good clean ground the pop-corn is very often 

 drilled, dropping the kernels 6 to 8 inches apart in the 

 row. More often, however, it is check-rowed with 

 the rows 3 feet 4 inches apart and from four to six 

 kernels in the hill. The ordinary corn-planters are 



used with special plates for pop-corn planting. For 

 dwarf varieties of pop-corn such as the Tom Thumb, 

 when planted in home gardens and tilled by hand, 

 the hills may be as near together as 2J^ feet. 



Pop-corn is much slower in germinating than field 

 corn and the plant is not so vigorous a grower. Shal- 

 low cultivation is recommended just as for other 

 corns, especially for the later cultivations, since deep 

 cultivating cuts too many roots. 



Pop-corn is planted earlier than field 

 corn. It should be planted deep enough 

 to reach the moist soil, usually \Y"i to 

 2 inches, but in a dry season it may 

 need to go 3 inches deep. 



The White Rice, which is grown 

 more extensively for market than any 

 other variety, mixes with field corns 

 readily. The resulting hybrid types 

 have larger ears and larger, smoother 

 kernels and give heavier yields than do 

 the pure pop-corns. These hybrid types 

 were for a time quite in favor with the commercial 

 growers because of their greater yield. Now they are 

 being discriminated against by the buyers because of 

 their inferior popping qualities, and the tendency 

 among the growers is to get back to the pure types, 

 even though they give smaller yields. 



Pop-corn matures earlier than field corn. For this 

 reason in many sections of the country it is regarded as 

 a surer crop. In the region about Odebolt, Iowa, where 

 pop-corn is grown more extensively than in any other 

 district in the world, harvesting sometimes begins as 

 early as the middle of September, but more often it is 

 delayed till the first of October or later to let the corn 

 dry on the stalk. There are two methods of harvest- 

 ing. One is to snap the corn and pile it in the crib, 

 then shuck it during the winter. However, this is not 

 generally practised because it makes more work and 

 takes more crib room. The other and common method 

 is to pick and shuck the ears from the standing stalks 

 directly into the wagon, the same as with field corn. 



On account of the heavy expense of hand-picking, 

 some are now using the harvesting apparatus called the 

 corn-picker and husker. Opinions differ as to the econ- 

 omy of using this picker. The rows should be long and 

 the corn should stand up well to justify its use. For 

 hand-picking the price per bushel usually ranges from 

 10 to 12 cents. A good hand can pick about forty 

 bushels in a ten-hour day if the corn is good. 



It is very important that the pop-corn be thoroughly 

 dried. After it is picked it is placed in the crib which 

 usually has ventilators through the center. These 

 extend along the middle of the floor, are slatted to 

 admit air, and are about \}/<i feet wide by 2^ feet high. 

 The corn is usually left in the crib through the winter 

 season. Sometimes it is marketed on the cob. Formerly 

 it was a common practice to ship it on the cob in 

 sacks, but now it is generally held over winter in the 

 crib, shelled the next spring, and shipped in two-bushel 

 sacks. It is usually marketed from June to September. 

 It is ready to use for popping just as soon as it is dry 

 enough. It can be popped immediately after it is 

 gathered if the season is dry and the corn is allowed to 

 dry sufficiently in the field. Usually it is left on the 

 stalk till it is so dry that it shells some when thrown 

 into the wagon. 



Various companies make a practice of contracting 

 for a certain number of acres of pop-corn at a certain 

 price in the spring of the year, so that the farmer may 

 know just what price he will get for his corn in the 

 fall or at some stated time at which it is to be delivered. 

 The contracting firm does not as a rule supply the seed 

 but does specify the grade of the corn and objects to 

 the coarse hybrid types. 



The prices for. corn in the ear are ruling from 1 cent 

 to 2 cents a pound; for shelled corn from \Y^ cents 



