26 CORN 



In other places^ wooden plows, or even disc plows are used on 

 large farms and ranches. One man plows the soil, then makes a fur- 

 row in which a boy alternately drops three grains of corn and two of 

 beans. When the corn is a few inches high, it is banked up and two 

 or three cultivations are given with the plow. The corn, when ripe, 

 is topped o\er the ear, and the toppings used for fodder. After the 

 ■ first frost, the ears are stripped by hand and thrown into a basket car- 

 ried upon the back of a peon. Cattle are then turned into the field to 

 pick what is left. 



In addition to the flint and dent varieties, some pod corn is grown. 

 "Alais de Riego," or: irrigated corn is planted after the frost when the 

 Soil is warm, during the month of March. The growing period is of 

 se\"en months, and produces, as a rule, from 300 to 500 bushels of corn 

 for each bushel planted. The "mais poblano,'' planted during the early 

 rains in May, needs four months to grow and produces as much as 200 

 bushels of corn for each bushel planted. The ''mais temporal," or 

 "pepitills" is seeded during the regular rains of June and July and is 

 harvested three months afterward, producing from SO to 100 bushels 

 for each Imshel planted. 



CORN PRODUCTION IN SOUTH AMERICA 



Aside from Argentine Republic and Brazil, very little data is 

 available on corn production. In 1912 Chile reported one and a half 

 million bushels, and Uruguay eight million bushels. However, some 

 corn is grown in practically all of the wSouth .American countries, 

 mostly of the flint type on account of the weevil which causes consid- 

 erable damage in the grain when stored. 



Argentine Republic 



Argentine Republic extends o\er 2,300 miles of latitude. Of the 

 four provinces, Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Cordoba, and Enlre Rios, the 

 first two are the largest corn jjroducers. 



These areas lie within the limits of 35 and 30 degrees south latitude, 

 flowever, some good corn is grown as far north as 24 degrees south 

 latitude. 



The avcni^c ainuial temptralurc at Hncnos Aires from 1856 to 1875 

 was (>2.g degrees, from 1876 to tXqO, 61.5 degrees, and from 1897 ^o 

 1900, 63.1 degrees. These represent quite fairly the averages of the 

 principal corn regions. The temperature in this part of the corn belt 



