58 FIELD CROPS 



as follows: Oats, $1.25 per cwt.; corn, 87J^ cents per cwt. 

 The comparison is instantly and accurately made without 

 computation. Another problem that often arises on the 

 farm is to determine the advisability of increasing or decreas- 

 ing the relative acreages of some of the cereal crops. A 

 comparison by bushels is certainly unfair, if feed is the object 

 of the crop. If one knows that barley has been yielding 

 about 25 bushels, oats 35 bushels, and corn 30 bushels to 

 the acre, he is likely to have a different idea of the relative 

 importance of the crops than he would were the yields 

 stated in pounds to the acre as follows : Barley, 1200 pounds ; 

 oats, 1120 pounds; and corn, 1680 pounds. 



SOILS AND FERTILIZERS 



63. Soils. Corn grows best in warm, rich, moist, well- 

 drained sandy loam soils. It should not be inferred, how- 

 ever, that this crop will not thrive on any other kind of soil, 

 because it will grow and is grown on soils of almost every 

 type. It will grow on very light, poor land, but it makes 

 really good growth only on deep, rich soil. It is a strong 

 feeder, and can make use of coarse manure and soddy land 

 better than most other field crops. 



To be reasonably sure of success, corn land must be suffi- 

 ciently well drained to allow a free circulation of air in the 

 soil to a depth of from 2 to 3 feet, must have enough plant 

 food available for the production of ordinary field crops, 

 and must be situated where there is a sufficient period of time 

 free from frost to permit the crop to mature. A higher 

 average temperature must prevail than is necessary for some 

 of the small grain and grass crops. The soil must be com- 

 pact enough so that it will retain moisture, yet should be fine 

 and mellow enough so that the roots may easily penetrate it. 



The corn plant in its growth uses large amounts of 



