48 



FIELD CROP PRODUCTION 



having a wrinkled or shriveled appearance, and the 

 endosperm is horny and translucent. The plants grow 

 from two to ten feet in height, with a marked tendency 

 to sucker, and to produce two to three ears on a stalk. 

 Sweet corn is grown 

 largely for cooking and 

 canning purposes, and 

 for this use is harvested 

 before it reaches matu- 

 rity. The time required 

 for it to reach the stage 

 when it is best suited 

 for this purpose is from 

 50 to 100 days, depend- 

 ing upon the variety. In 

 the New England States, 

 parts of New York, Penn- 

 sylvania and Ohio, sweet 

 corn is grown in a large 

 way and hauled direct 

 from the field to the can- 

 ning factories. Growers 

 in these regions where 

 Fig 12 ^^^^ practice is followed 

 — An ear of enter into contracts with 



soft corn. ^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^_ 



tories to deliver their crops at a given 



rate per ton. The price of course 



varies with supply and demand, and also with the variety 



grown, some varieties commanding a premium of as much 



as two dollars per ton over the less desirable varieties. 



The price is from 6 to 10 dollars per ton. The yield 



obtained varies from two to four tons per acre, or even 



Fig 



13. — An ear 

 sweet com. 



