EXPERIMENTS IN BREEDING SWEET CORN. 309 



PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS REGARDING THE GROW- 

 ING OF SWEET CORN FOR PACKING AND FOR 

 SEED. 



The following pages contain some practical points regarding 

 the raising of sweet corn in Maine which have grown out of 

 three years work in (a) the experimental breeding of this crop, 

 and (b) the observation of current farm practice and its results 

 covering practically the whole of the sweet corn producing 

 regions of the State. A complete report of this, work, which 

 forms the basis of these suggestions and which should be 

 read in connection with them, is given in the foregoing sections 

 of this bulletin. The evidence in support of the suggestions 

 here made is to be found in that portion of the bulletin. It must 

 of course be understood that these suggestions, like any others 

 regarding practical farming, must be applied with common 

 sense and due regard to local conditions as to soil, etc. The 

 suggestions are grouped under three heads as follows : A. 

 Growing Sweet Corn for the Factory. B. Growing Sweet 

 Corn for Seed. C. The Care and Curing of Seed. 



A. Growing Sweet Corn eor the Factory. 



I. Plant early. The growing season in Maine is short under 

 the most favorable circumstances. Under present conditions 

 the farmer must take chances at one end of the season or the 

 other. Too often he plants in such a way as to take them at both 

 ends. General observation shows beyond any question that the 

 farmers who are most successful with sweet corn (i. e., who 

 make the most money at the factory year in and year out) are 

 those who plant relatively early. That is, they elect to take 

 their chance at the beginning rather than the end of the growing 

 season. At the worst they may have to plant a part of the piece 

 over again. Whereas if the loss is by frost in the fall it is total 

 and irreparable. Observation indicates that it should be a rule 

 to plant as soon after May 15 as the soil is in condition. 



