SWEET CORN 115 



successful growers use the latter method. However, 

 a consideration of the root habit of corn, and of 

 the advantage in ease of cultivation, would swing 

 the balance in favor of the " hill " method, for the 

 home garden. 



Let us state here that when " hills " are spoken of 

 in garden books, a real hill or round of earth is 

 frequently not intended at all. It really means a 

 spot where a group of seed is planted, and where the 

 earth is prepared especially to receive them. No 

 progressiva farmer today piles up banks or mounds of 

 earth about his corn. He measures off the spots 

 where the seed is to be planted, hoes out the stones, 

 and that spot is called a hill. 



It is much easier to make use of a stony piece of 

 ground by preparing hills three feet or so apart, than 

 by preparing rows ; and corn will do very well on 

 a stony piece, if it is thoroughly harrowed. 



Pollen and Its Work. — Another consideration of 

 importance here is the pollen and its work. The 

 pollen of the corn is made in the feather-like blos- 

 soms at the top. Just at the time when the silk 

 in the ear is at its best, the pollen ripens and falls 

 from the top blossoms in a fine yellow dust. Every 

 grain of corn in the ear has a thread of silk running 

 from it to the outside air. If the pollen falls upon 

 this thread, the kernel of corn develops. If pollen 

 does not reach the thread at the right time, the ker- 

 nel at that point on the ear does not develop. . One 



