432 VEGETABLE GARDENING 



615. Starting early plants. — With the use of paper pots 

 it is thoroughly practical to start part of the crop under 

 glass, and transplant to the open ground after danger 

 of frost. The roots should not be disturbed, so that pots 

 must be employed to make this method successful. Start- 

 ing sweet corn under glass is not generally practiced, but 

 if there is reasonable assurance of good prices the in- 

 creased earliness will more than make up for the extra 

 trouble and expense of starting the plants. It is doubt- 

 ful whether the corn should be planted more than three 

 weeks in advance of field planting. Any good compost 

 may be used to fill the pots. About six grains should be 

 planted in a 3-inch paper or earthen pot, and thinned to 

 three or four plants, which later are set in the open 

 ground. Cold frames may be used to start the plants, if 

 a greenhouse is not available. 



616. Fertilizing. — Soil well adapted to common field 

 corn will produce good sweet corn, which thrives on 

 heavy, clover sods plowed in the fall or early in the 

 spring. Rotten or fresh manures of all kinds may be 

 used to advantage. Eight or 10 tons of stable manure 

 an acre applied on clover sod provides the most favor- 

 able conditions. Commercial fertilizers are also used in 

 large amounts for the sweet corn crop, the applications 

 varying from a few hundred pounds to a ton an acre. It 

 is not uncommon for expert growers operating near 

 good local markets to apply 1,500 pounds or a ton an 

 acre, although 1,000 pounds is considered liberal treat- 

 ment. The mixtures used for this crop generally con- 

 tain 3 to 5 per cent of nitrogen and 7 to 10 per cent each 

 of the mineral elements. 



617. Soil preparation. — Sod land is invariably the best 

 for sweet corn. Other fertile soils, cultivated the pre- 

 ceding year, may be used with success. Fall plowing of 

 sods in northern sections is often desirable for the very 

 early varieties. If plowing be deferred until spring, 



