CORN 127 



up the crust to a depth of i to 2 inches. Just be- 

 fore the last working it frequently pays to sow 

 seeds of cowpeas, soy beans or crimson clover to 

 act as gatherers of nitrogen. If the cornfield can 

 be pastured after the crop has been removed, farm 

 animals can find a great deal of excellent feed from 

 a crop sowed just before the last cultivation. 



One of the important items in keeping the farm 

 clean is to go through the field about tasseling 

 time and pull out any noxious weeds that may be 

 about ready to seed. This is necessary more es- 

 pecially with velvet leaf, cocklebur, jimson weed, 

 dock, milkweed and the like. Some farmers feel 

 that after the last cultivation the corn crop can take 

 care of itself. While in a sense this is true, it must 

 be looked after very carefully. Weeds must be 

 kept down around the outer edge so that seeds will 

 not be distributed through the field. Fences must 

 be looked after so that stock cannot get in and 

 destroy the maturing grain. Then, as noted above, 

 the effect of heavy rains must be counteracted if 

 possible. 



Field Selection of Seed. — Seed corn should be 

 selected from the stalk in the field and not from 

 the crib or from the shock at husking time. Ears 

 selected from the crib or from the shock are not 

 always as valuable for seed as their appearance 

 would indicate. The splendid appearance of such 

 ears may be due entirely to the favorable condition 

 under which they grew. 



If we could trace these ears of fine appearance 

 back to the field, we would find that a great ma- 

 jority of them had come from a plant where there 

 was but one stalk in a hill, or where there were 

 many missing stalks in the drill row. Where this 



