388 CORN 



The Thickness of Planting Will Depend Upon, 



First, the fertility of the land. 



Second, the amount of rainfall in the region. 



Third, the length of the growing season. Where the growing sea- 

 son is short, thickly planted corn will mature earlier. 



Fourth, the variety. A rank growing variety which attains con- 

 siderable height should be planted just a little thinner than a variety 

 with short stalks, because the tall growth shades the lower leaves 

 when drilled thickly. 



As a rule, one stalk every 9 to 16 inches will produce the best corn 

 for silage purposes. When checking, 3 stalks on land of medium 

 fertility and 4 on richer land will be found thick enough when the 

 hills are 3 feet 6 inches apart. 



VARIETIES TO PLANT. When Selecting a Variety of Corn to 

 Plant for Silage, Consider That, 



First, there must be a large yield of foliage which will be succu- 

 lent and palatable. 



Second, there should be enough matured ears to raise the percent- 

 age of digestible nutrients in the silage. 



Third, the variety must mature early in order to be ready for cut- 

 ting before frost and also to have a large content of dry matter. 



Corn harvested on the Experiment grounds of the Iowa State Col- 

 lege on September 27th, immature and slightly dented, mature and 

 well dented, showed a difference in yield (dry weights) per acre of 56 

 and 82 bushels of grain respectively, with about equal amounts of 

 stover. This shows the importance of planting varieties that will 

 mature. 



As an average of several cultural trials. Professor Jordan of the 

 Maine Station found a greater amount of green fodder and total 

 amount of dry matter in large southern varieties than in the adapted 

 northern varieties. The difference, however, was but 175 pounds per 

 acre. Considering that an additional 6 1-4 tons more green fodder was 

 handled in case of southern varieties, and that the former was of a 

 more watery nature and more susceptible to fermentation in silo, the 

 northern variety was the more profitable. Other northern Stations 

 have come to the same conclusion. 

 Varieties Recommended. 



"Modern Silage Methods", published by the Silver Manufacturing 

 Company, of Salem, Ohio, gives the following varieties for different 

 sections of the country. "The best varieties for the New England 

 States are the Sanford and Flint corn; for the Middle States, Leam- 



