410 



MAIZE 



MAIZE 



furrow just ahead of the shoe of the drill which 

 places the kernels in the Hoil. On heavy lands in 

 wet climates, it may bo best not to plant in 

 furrows. 



There is but one principal plan to lie considered 

 in deciding whether the corn should be planted in 

 checks, so as to admit of cultivation in two direc- 

 tions or dropped one kernel in a place. This con- 

 sideration is that of keeping the corn free from 

 weeds. On river-bottom land and land that is foul 

 with weed seed, it is usually best to plant in 

 checks, otherwise hand -labor will be required in 

 hoeing out the weeds. As the corn roots distribute 

 themselves through the soil for a diHtancio of three 

 or four feet, there is no great advantage in having 

 the plants stand one in a place. 



Repeated tests have shown that for middle 

 Georgia the best time for planting is March 15 to 

 20 ; for central Illinois, May 11 to 18; central Indi- 

 ana, May 1 to 11; central Kansas, the first week in 

 May; South Dakota, May 10 to 20; but these dates 

 are only the avor;iKu i'or a number of years, and 

 the advancement of the season must each year be 

 taken into consideration and the planting done 

 when the soil can be put in good condition, and 

 when it has become warm enough to insure prompt 

 germination of the seed. The old saying that it is 

 time to plant com when the oak leaves reach the 



62!. Corn emut. (PaeotU.) 



size of a squirrel's ear or the dogwoods are in 

 blossom, is as definite a date as it is possible to 

 establish. 



The rate of planting is also a point that must be 

 settled for each locality and uach particular soil. 

 For very fertile soil the usually adopted distances 



are SJ x SJ feet, with tiiroc) kernels per hill. When 

 planted at this rate, the stand in Llio full Hliouhl 

 average at least two and onu-hall' stalks \)M' hill, 

 and,with this stand, yields of one humlrud IniHhulH 

 and more per ncru are possibln. 



FlK, 



828. Late-maturlDK, tall-nrowlna corn, oharao- 

 torlatlo of tho loutborn atatoa. (Hfti'n<'.v.) 



The amount of raoisturo as well as tho fertility 

 of the land are matters that must bo considered in 

 deciding the rate of planting. If the stftlks stand 

 thickly in the rows the crop will sulfur more irom 

 dry weather than if there is a thinnor stand. In 

 some sections where the soil is light, and dry 

 weather is usual during the growing season, best 

 results are obtained by having the rows four foot 

 apart, with one stalk every three feet in the row. 

 When such thin planting as this is necessary, it is 

 preferable to plant the corn-rows far enough apart 

 BO that peanuts, cowpeas, or some other such croj) 

 can be planted between the rows. In tho loading (;orn 

 states, where the greater part of the land piantitd 

 to corn is rather fertile, the mistake is made of 

 planting the corn too thickly on the poor land. Ex- 

 perience has taught the oorn-growdrs that live in 

 localities where all of the soil is liglil, that thin 

 planting is necessary, and the mistake of planting 

 too thickly is not so common as in Hoctions where 

 the greater part of the land is fertile. Tho result 

 of planting too thickly is to roduco the size of the 

 ears and the production of grain, and to Inoreaso 

 the amount of forage. 



The rate of planting field corn varies from six 

 quarts to one bushel. For silage, nine to Qhvv.n 

 quarts are planted. 



Cultivation. — Two principal results to be at- 

 tained in giving corn good cultivation ar(*, first, 

 the prevention of the growth of weeds, and, second, 

 the retention of soil moisture. 



It is always much easier and more satisfactory 

 to prevent tne growth of weeds or destroy them 

 soon after the seeds germinate than It is to attempt 

 their destruction after they have attained a firm 

 foothold. Wide weeders and harrows with giant- 

 back teeth are very good implements for jirevent- 

 ing weeds getting a start ahead of tho com. As 

 they are rather light, and it is not desirable that 

 the teeth pen(!trate the ground more than an inch, 

 very wide ones can be used and a good deal of land 

 passed over in a day. 



