4 BULLETIN 188^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



EFFECT OF PLANTING ROWS AT DIFFERENT DISTANCES APART. 



The different widths between rows were tested in one-fifth acre 

 plats, the rows being 264 feet long. The plants within the rows 

 stood approximately 5 inches apart on all the plats, except where 

 the stand was somewhat reduced by imperfect germination. The 

 average number of plants per row, of mature heads per row and per 

 plant, and the yield per acre are given in Table II. In this table, as 

 well as in the following tables, the number of mature heads per plant 

 and per row includes the main stalks and tiUers, but not the branches, 

 which when given are in another column. 



Table II.- 



-Results of planting milo in rows at varying distances apart at the San 

 Antonio Experiment Farm in 1913 and 1914. 



Distance between rows. 



Number 

 of plants 

 per row. 



Number of mature 

 heads— 



Average 

 number of 

 branches 

 per plant. 



Heads 

 pendent. 



Yields per 





Per row. 



Per plant. 





In 1913: 



36 inches 



350 

 405 

 339 

 459 



478 

 439 

 498 

 529 

 504 



879 



899 



959 



1,155 



508 

 472 

 532 

 552 

 542 



2.5 

 2.2 



2.8 

 2.6 



1.06 

 1.07 

 1.08 

 1.04 

 1.08 





Per cent. 



Bushels. 

 42 9 



40 inchies 







45 8 



44 inches 







45 3 



48 inches 







46 2 



In 1914: 



36 inches 



0.22 

 .41 

 .45 

 .64 

 .50 



4 

 9 

 9 

 9 



7 



25.3 



39 inches 



24 9 





23 6 



45 inches 



18.6 



4S inches 



16.1 







As Table II shows, no very marked effects were produced on the 

 number of heads per plant by varying the width between the rowSo 

 The differences' in yield were small. The results of the 1914 tests 

 were similar to those conducted in 1913, except that an extra plat 

 was included, as shown in the table. 



There was practically no difference in the number of heads per 

 plant when the rows were spaced at different distances, nor was there 

 any consistent variation in the number of branches or pendent 

 heads, although there is a tendency for the number of branches to 

 increase as the distance between the rows increases, as shown by 

 the 1914 results. The yields, however, uniformly increased as the 

 distances between the rows decreased. This was to be expected, 

 as the season was so favorable as to rainfall that even with the rows 

 3 feet apart the plants did not suffer from the want of rain. This 

 table indicates that varying the distance between the rows does not 

 appreciably affect the tillering or branching. The distance between 

 rows will have to be governed by local conditions. Where the soil 

 is rich and the rainfall abundant, the rows may be much closer 

 together than they otherwise should be planted. 



