HOME PROJECTS 329 



The hills should be three feet six inches apart each way. 

 Plant three or four kernels for each hill, if the check-row 

 method is used. 



As an additional feature to this project, the student may 

 plant an ear-to-row plot. Select from seven to ten good ears 

 of corn and plant one row from each ear. Number each row 

 by a stake driven in the ground at the end of the row. At 

 the end of the season report which rows yielded most, and 

 save the seed from these rows for next year. 



Cultivation. Proper cultivation is one of the most im- 

 portant operations in growing corn. Weeds are removed and 

 the surface mulch is maintained in proper cultivation. 



Early rolling and harrowing before or soon after the corn 

 comes up is a good practice, facilitating the early control of 

 the weeds. 



The soil should be cultivated as often as is necessary ta 

 maintain a loose* shallow mulch of soil over the surface of 

 the corn field. Never allow the surface to become baked or 

 hard before "laying by." Cultivate after a rain as soon as 

 it is dry enough to work. Care should be taken not to culti- 

 vate too deep. If the roots of corn are injured, the yield is 

 reduced. Five or six cultivations during the season would 

 be the minimum number to insure a good crop. 



Cross pollinating 1 . Before kernels will form in the ear, 

 pollen from the tassel must fall on the silk of the ear. This is 

 called pollination. A stronger strain of corn is developed 

 when the pollen fertilizes an ear not of the same but of 

 another stalk. If every other row in the plot from which 

 seed is to be selected is detasseled just as soon as the tas- 



