100 



SOUTHERN FIELD CROPS 



99. Corn products. From the corn plant are made 

 great numbers of products. Among those made from the 

 grain are corn meal, grits, hominy, and corn flakes, all 

 for human food ; also whisky, corn oil, glucose, starch, and 

 many others ; and for stock food, gluten meal, corn hearts, 

 corn bran, and others. 



The pith of the stalk is used as a packing material in 

 the construction of warships. From the stalk cellulose is 

 manufactured. All parts of the plant are used as food for 

 live-stock. 



100. Draft on soil fertility. A crop of 40 bushels of 

 corn and 2500 pounds of stover removes approximately 

 the following amounts of plant-food : 



From the above table it may be seen that every bushel of 

 grain removes about one pound of nitrogen, two fifths 

 of a pound of phosphoric acid, and about one third of a 

 pound of potash. 



These figures impress the need of the corn plant for nitro- 

 gen, which is most economically supplied in a preceding soil- 

 improving or leguminous crop (as cowpeas), or in manure. 



It should be noticed that the stover removes about three 

 times as much potash as does the grain; and also practi- 

 cally half as much nitrogen. Hence the removal of the 

 stover greatly increases the need for nitrogen and potash 

 in the fertilizer for succeeding crops. 



