62 



INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENT ON SWEET CORN. 



Summary of analytical data for four stations, 1905-1908. 

 CROSBY VARIETY. 



STOWELL EVERGREEN VARIETY. 



DISTRIBUTION OF RAINFALL. 



In platting the daily distribution of rainfall the data for 1905 were 

 not included, as no work was performed at the Florida station and 

 only one variety of corn was planted in Maryland, New Jersey, and 

 Maine. The period platted extends from the time when the first tas- 

 sels appeared until work on the edible corn was discontinued, and the 

 charts are based primarily on the Crosby corn, the Stowell Evergreen 

 being usually about ten days less advanced. From the time of tas- 

 seling to the commencement of work on the edible corn is a period of 

 from twenty-eight to thirty-five days, and this has been divided into 

 sections of seven days each to facilitate the study of the distribution 

 of the rainfall. 



At the .Florida station (fig. 7) in 1906 rains occurred very frequently 

 and they are the heaviest recorded. The two weeks following the 

 tasseling show eight rainfalls with a total of 7.7 inches. During the 

 third week no rain fell, but in the fourth week, just before the corn 

 reached the edible stage, there were five rams giving a total precipita- 

 tion of 0.8 inch, the record for the next day being 3 inches. During 

 the period of harvest there were three more rains, the precipitation 

 being 1.4, 0.84, and 1.12 inches, respectively, making a total of 3.36. 

 From these data it would appear that as much as 14 inches of rain 

 fell in the period from the time of tasseling to the harvesting of the 

 corn an excessive rainfall, explaining entirely the low sugar content 

 recorded, even though more rain is required in this latitude than 

 farther north. 



The chart for 1907 shows six rains with a total precipitation of 3.7 

 inches during the twelve days following the period of tasseling. This 

 is less than half of the amount recorded for the corresponding time in 



