I56 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



SWEET CORN. 



Although corn has received no special attention at this sta- 

 tion, several varieties have been grown each year and a few 

 notes taken concerning their behavior. 



Every one who is at all familiar with the catalogue of the 

 average seedman is equally familiar with the high sounding and 

 attractive description of varieties which most catalogues con- 

 tain. We do not wish to infer that such descriptions are given 

 for the purpose of deceiving, yet the fact remains that if one 

 bases his anticipations on the descriptions which he finds, he 

 is more than likely doomed to disappointment at the results 

 which he obtains. "While this condition of things does not 

 exist in regard to the descriptions of corn to the extent that it 

 does in regard to many other things, yet not a few of the state- 

 ments are misleading. Especially have we found this to be true 

 as to statements concerning the date of maturity. Very often 

 varieties described as "early" have proven so late as to be almost 

 worthless, and several so called medium sorts have failed to 

 mature at all. A plausible excuse may appear, however, for 

 this apparent deception when we consider the fact that practi- 

 cally all of the seeds disseminated by the larger seed companies 

 are produced in a climate where the growing season is consider- 

 ably longer than in Maine. 



The following table represents most concisely the more 

 important points relative to the varieties grown the past season: 



