Tips and Butts 



Kernels from the tip and butt of the ear will grow and make corn if 

 the germ is not dead. It is not advisable, however, to plant such seeds 

 because of the probability that they may either fail to grow or the 

 germination be weak. The kernels in the body of the ear may be per- 

 fect seed and the kernels from the tip and butt be weak because they 

 have become mouldy, a condition that destroys or seriously impairs 

 their vitality. In the event of continued rains while the corn is ripen- 

 ing, the silk will retain moisture, causing the grains at the tip to mould, 

 and the concave butt will also retain moisture if the ear hangs down, 

 causing a deterioration of the kernels there. 



Uniformity 



The number of grains to plant in a hill and the distance of the hills 

 apart depend upon the amount of available fertility in the soil. A 

 deep, well-drained, sandy loam rich in plant-food and organic matter, 

 will produce four strong stalks in each hill, the hills being three feet six 

 inches apart. Other soils containing a smaller amount of fertility will 

 not produce more than two or three good stalks, but whatever number 

 the land is capable of producing, the seeding should be uniform. If, for 

 any reason, one hill contains one or two stalks and another four or five, 

 the farmer will not secure as large a yield as he would if each hill con- 

 tained the same number, even though the same amount of seed was 

 planted. If, because of any defect, any number of hills are deficient 

 one or two stalks, the yield will be materially lessened. Hence, the 

 farmer cannot afford to ignore the uniform planting features of a planter. 



John Deere Eotating Cultivator Shields 



