EXPERIMENTS IN BREEDING SWEET CORN. 293 



the results of the breeding experiments. These tests were 

 carried out on 1-6 acre plots on the intervale land of Mr. Heath's 

 farm, adjoining the ear-to-row plot. Three experiments of this 

 kind were tried, occupying altogether ^^2 acre of land. These 

 experiments were as follows : 



A. The influence of the mnnher of stalks to the hill upon the 

 yield, quality and earliness of the corn. In the course of our 

 study of the sweet corn growing industry of the State we have 

 found a very general tendency towards thick planting. The 

 vast majority of farmers make it a regular practice to leave 

 from 4 to 7 or even 8 stalks standing in the hill. The reason 

 for this lies in the desire for stover for feeding purposes. Most 

 farmers who grow sweet corn are also dairymen on a larger or 

 smaller scale. They wish to get as much fodder from the sweet 

 corn as possible. Consequently they plan to have a relatively 

 large number of stalks to the hill. One hears very frequently 

 the argument that since the shortness of the season is liable to 

 cause a complete failure of the crop so far as ears are concerned 

 it is wise to take measures to insure as much fodder as possible, 

 so that some return may be had for the outlay of money and 

 labor. Now a very slight acquaintance with corn teaches one 

 that beyond a certain limit every increase in the number of stalks 

 per hill means a decrease in the yield of ears. It, therefore, 

 becomes a problem to determine where this limit is. Ears of 

 sweet corn mean actual money to the grower. If he deliberately 

 plants in such a way as to sacrifice in some degree yield of ears 

 for yield of fodder it is desirable to know just what that fodder 

 >-o gained is really costing him. Many farmers seem to proceed 

 on the absurd assumption that in corn fodder they are getting 

 something for nothing. As a matter of fact they often grow 

 sweet corn fodder in such a way that it is probably the most 

 expensive food they give their cattle. 



Further, in 1908 the corn in our experimental plots was 

 thinned to one stalk every 18 inches. This corn was earlier 

 than anything we had seen in the State. The point at once arose 

 as to whether part of this earliness might not be due to the 

 amount of space allowed each plant, thus permitting it to make 

 more rapid growth and hasten its maturity. 



In order to gain some data regarding these points, a plot of 

 land 144 feet by 50 feet was planted in the following way : the 



