MAIZE FOR SOILING 137 
ture, preventing washing and ensuring a complete 
distribution in the surface layers of the soluble 
plant-food; or it may be applied after plowing 
in spring, providing it is fine and thoroughly 
incorporated in the surface soil. These methods 
will ensure the largest return of the constituents in 
the crop, and they are particularly desirable when 
manures are used that contain but little litter. 
When manure is used, ten tons per acre applied 
broadeast will afford abundance of organic ma- 
terial, containing sufficient nitrogen in available 
forms to supply the early needs of the plant. 
It must be remembered, however, that no 
amount of manure or fertilizer can be substituted 
for early and thorough tillage, as tillage saves 
moisture. This is a matter of the highest impor- 
tance, for without moisture the plant-food cannot 
be dissolved and circulated through the soil. There- 
fore, whatever the method of manuring, the soil 
after seeding should be tilled, preferably shallow 
and as frequently as possible, until the plants are 
too large to permit further work. The fact that 
the plant does not make its most rapid growth in 
any case until warm weather begins, makes the 
necessity for early and large applications of 
quickly available nitrogen not so great as in the 
case of such crops as rye or wheat, or even oats, 
that make their most rapid growth much earlier in 
the season. With corn, the conditions are gener- 
