24 SOILING CROPS AND THE SILO. 



planting as it is when the corn crop is allowed to 

 mature. Land, therefore, not sufficiently fertile to 

 produce a maximum crop should be fertilized accord- 

 ing to its needs. Where it can be obtained, farm- 

 yard manure is one of the cheapest and most effective 

 of fertilizers. It may be applied most freely in 

 climates not deficient, or not much deficient, in mois- 

 ture. It feeds the corn crop better when it has been 

 reduced, or fermented, more or less, before it is 

 applied. On lands lacking in moisture the applica- 

 tion of large quantities of farmyard manure in the 

 unreduced form should be avoided, unless it can be 

 applied some considerable time before the planting 

 of the corn, otherwise its bulkiness and slowness of 

 decay may harm the crop more than it will help it. 



Commercial fertilizers may also be applied in 

 addition to farmyard manure where the supply cf 

 the latter is limited, or alone in its absence. The 

 composition of these fertilizers and the quantity to 

 apply will depend upon the needs of the land. But 

 more commonly complete fertilizers will be prefer- 

 able, that is to say, fertilizers which contain a certain 

 per cent, of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. 



Sowing. — Corn for soiling uses may be sown 

 broadcast by hand and covered with the harrow; 

 with the grain drill, all the tubes or with only part 

 of them in use ; or it may be strewn by hand in shal- 

 low furrows made by the plow. Which of these 

 methods ought to be adopted will depend chiefly 

 upon such conditions as the conveniences at hand 

 for planting the crop and upon the area to be grown. 



Much has been written against the plan of sow- 

 ing the corn broadcast by hand, also against the plan 



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