PLANT FEEDING. 27 



What corn and stover contain. Dry corn grain, or 

 kernels when removed from the cob, contains of water 

 about 10%, of nitrogen 1.9%, of phosphoric acid 0.7%, 

 of potash 0.4%. This means that in 100 pounds of crib- 

 cured shelled corn of average quality, there are of water 

 10 pounds, nitrogen 1.9 pounds, phosphoric acid 0.7 of 

 one pound, potash 0.4 of one pound. The corn stalks 

 when thoroughly field-cured, or dried as hay, contain of 

 water about 40%, nitrogen 1%, phosphoric acid 0.3%, 

 potash 1.4%. This means that 100 pounds of field- 

 cured corn fodder of good average quality contain of 

 water 40 pounds, nitrogen 1 pound, phosphoric acid 0.3 

 of one pound, potash 1.4 pounds. 



Average yield an acre. The average yield of corn 

 throughout the United States, one year with another, 

 is about 25 bushels to the acre. This average crop pro- 

 duces about two tons (4,000 pounds) an acre of field- 

 cured corn fodder. Therefore, to produce one bushel of 

 corn requires the growth of. stalks., and leaves which, 

 when cut and sundried in the field, weigh 160 pounds. 

 As corn weighs 56 pounds to the bushel, one pound of 

 corn is produced by 2.86 pounds of fodder on the aver- 

 age. These proportions vary widely, and so does the 

 composition of grain and fodder, but the above are fair 

 averages. No account is here taken of the cobs which 

 are quite an item. 



QUESTIONS. 



1. How many pounds of nitrogen are removed in 100 

 pounds of shelled corn, how many pounds of phosphoric 

 acid, how many pounds of potash, and what is the total 

 weight of these three elements in 100 pounds of corn ? 



2. Determine the same in one bushel (56 pounds) of 

 corn. 



