160 



Feeds and Feeding. 



210. Thickness of planting.— After studying the results of thick 

 and thin seeding for three seasons at the Illinois Station,^ Morrow 

 and Hunt reached the conclusions summarized in the table below. 

 In these trials dent corn was planted at distances varying from 1 

 kernel placed every 3 inches in the row, to 1 every 24 inches, the 

 rows being 3 feet 8 inches apart. 



Results of planting corn kernels various distances apart in rows. 



We observe that on rich soil with the kernels 3 inches apart in 

 the row, or 47,520 per acre, there were 13 bushels of sound ears 

 and 46 bushels of poor ears or nubbins per acre. Poor as are these 

 returns from the standpoint of grain production, we gather the in- 

 teresting and exceedingly important fact that thick planting gave 

 the largest returns in total digestible nutrients per acre. Over 6,000 

 lbs. of digestible dry matter was secured in the nearly 5 tons of 

 stover and corn harvested. With this thickness of seeding there 

 were 3.6 lbs. of stover for each lb. of grain. The largest yield of 

 sound ear corn was secured by planting the kernels 12 inches apart 

 in the row, or about 12,000 kernels per acre. From this the re- 

 turns were 73 bushels of sound and 16 bushels of poor ears per acre, 

 with only 600 lbs. less digestible matter than was returned from 

 planting the kernels 4 times as thick. 



Morrow maintains that for Illinois conditions, with a rich soil, 

 10,000 good stalks of corn per acre, secured by planting about 

 12,000 kernels, give the best returns in grain. The lesson from the 

 above table, confirmed by the work of other stations, teaches that 

 when the stockman is seeking the greatest amount of nutrients pos- 

 sible from the corn crop he will plant the seed so thickly as to choke 

 the ears to about half their natural size. If, on the other hand, he 

 aims to produce grain, with stover secondary, he will then plant 



