LESSONS ON CORN. 5 



Exercises. — Show the effect of plowing under cloddy soil, or a 

 large cover crop, on the rise of capillary water. Also the effect of 

 disking a cover crop or heavy coating of manure into the surface soil 

 before turning under. Use four lamp chimneys, numbered 1, 2, 3, 

 and 4. Fill all to a depth of 5 inches with a sandy soil. Finish filling 

 No. 1, using good loam soil. On top of the sand in No. 2 put 1 inch 

 of wheat or oat chaff well packed down. In No. 3 put 2 inches of 

 fine clods. Finish filling Nos. 2 and 3 with loam soil. Complete the 

 filling of No. 4 by using a mixture of loam and the same amount of 

 chaff used in No. 2. Set all chimneys in about 1 inch of water. Ob- 

 serve and explain results. 



A field is 80 rods long and 60 rods wide. How many acres? How 

 many days will it take to plow it, allowing 2^ acres a day as fair 

 work for man and team? What would be the cost, charging local 

 prices ? 



References. — Farmers' Bulletins 414, pp. 6, 7, 13, 17, 18; 537, pp. 

 12, 13, 14; 729, pp. 1, 2, 3. Farmers' Bulletin 773 gives on pp. 10-12 

 instructions on preparing land for planting corn under droughty 

 conditions. 



LESSON VII. 



Subject. — Fertilizers and how to apply them. 



Topics for study. — What are the indispensable requirements for a 

 good corn yield ? What is one of the surest fertilizers for producing 

 a large corn crop ? Why ? How many tons of well-decomposed and 

 moist barnyard manure may you safely apply? Manure containing 

 stalks or undecomposed straw may reduce the corn yield. Explain. 

 When should the manure be applied ? What element of plant food is 

 needed most by the soils for profitable corn production in your dis- 

 trict? What necessary elements of plant food do commercial ferti- 

 lizers supply? When are such fertilizers likely to be profitable and 

 how should they be applied? Show the relation between profitable 

 corn production and the use of lime, ground phosphate rock, and 

 legumes on different kinds of soils. Name the steps necessary in 

 building up the soil permanently on a run-down farm in your district. 



References.— Farmers' Bulletins 44 * ; 192,* p. 5 ; 326,* p. 10; 398 * ; 

 414, pp. 12, 13; 537, pp. 10, 11 ; 729, pp. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 



LESSON VIII. 



Subjetit. — When and how to plant field corn. 



Topics for study. — At what time do the best farmers in your school 

 district plant their cornfields? What is the old Indian rule? Why 

 do the farmers not plant earlier? Why do they wish to plant corn 

 as early as it is safe ? Do most of them plant in continuous drills or 



