56 CORN CULTURE 



C. EFFECT OF DEPTH OF PLOWING ON YIELD OF 



CORN 



Twelve plots, three in a series, were plowed November 1, 

 1898. 



Series A, 3 inches deep. 



Series B, 5 inches deep. 



Series C, 7 inches deep. 



Series D, 9 inches deep. 



These fonr series of plots were alike as far as conld be made. 

 All sloped to the west and sonth. The soil was deep and of 

 average fertilit3^ They were plowed with headland in center 

 and open furrows at side between the plots. On May 12 all 

 plots were planted to Leaming corn and harrowed. A few 

 days after, the roller was used and in turn followed by the 

 weeder twice. No difference was seen in the plots until about 

 the middle of the season, when the deeper plowed plots showed 

 a stronger and more vigorous growth. This was easily seen 

 during the remainder of the season, for the difference could be 

 ■detected easily by the eye. 



The table below shows the results when the corn was put in 

 the silo: 



Depth of Plowing. 



Tons per acre. 



A Three inches deep 14.2 



B Five inches deep 26.2 



C Seven inches deep 29 . 4 



D Nine inclies deep 28.2 



, 1 _^ 



We conclude from this experiment that for a deep soil, 

 deep fall plowing is preferable to shallow fall plowing for corn. 



PRACTICAL DEDUCTIONS FROM THE EXPERIMENTS 



Plow the soil as deep as its character will permit. A shal- 

 low, impoverished soil cannot be plowed as deep as a deep, fer- 

 tile one. A good seed bed is necessary, and the deeper the 



