INDIAN CORN OR MAIZE. 25 



of sowing it with the grain drill when all the tubes 

 are in use. Yet it may be true that a large majority 

 of the farmers who grow corn for soiling persist in 

 growing it thus. And there is probably some reason 

 for such persistence. It is very convenient to sow 

 corn in this way. The stalks, because of their fineness, 

 are more palatable than when of stronger growth, 

 and on good soil much bulk of food is obtained. The 

 objections to this method of planting the crop are: 

 The lack of growth in the corn in severely dry 

 weather, the encouragement given to the growth of 

 weeds, the larger amount of seed required for plant- 

 ing, and the less nutritious character of the food. 

 There is some force in all these objections. Notwith- - 

 standing, in the judgment of the author they do not ^ 

 prove conclusively that on well prepared soils corn 

 for soiling should not sometimes be grown thus. 

 But it should not be so grown on land that is 

 frequently lacking in moisture, on land that is low in 

 fertility or on land on which weed seeds lying on or 

 near the surface have not been well sprouted and 

 destroyed before the planting of the corn. 



When corn for soiling is planted with the grain 

 drill, some of the tubes only being in use, there is 

 much latitude in the precise methods practiced 

 Sometimes every second tube is used. When pliintcd 

 thus, the crop will make more growth on soils only 

 moderately supplied with plant food, and it will also 

 make a better growth in dry weather. Wben thus 

 planted, of course, the rows are too near to admit of 

 horse cultivation. Such cultivation may be given 

 with the rows even nearer to each other than thirty 

 inches, but when less distant than thirty inches it 

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