CORN GROWTH AND FEEDING 5 1 



be cut early in the season while the seeds are in the 

 milky stage. This will prevent in a large measure 

 the formation of the hard, woody fiber, which is pres- 

 ent in the matured plants and is detrimental for feed- 

 ing purposes. As the plants are frequently harvested 

 early in the season before the seeds are fully matured 

 and dried out, and the seed stored in this condition, it 

 frequently happens that the pile of seed heats, and the 

 vitality is destroyed. It is absolutely necessary to test 

 the vitality of all soy bean seed before planting. 



By moving the crop north gradually, the plants 

 are so changed in their habit of maturity that they 

 will become adapted to a great variety of climate. At 

 present great crops of this soy bean are annually 

 grown as far north as northern Michigan. As a result 

 large tracts of country which at present are compara- 

 tively sterile are being changed to very fertile and pro- 

 ductive soils. From the results of wide practical ob- 

 servation it has been found that soy beans are very 

 valuable soil fertilizers for corn and that a crop of 

 corn grown on soy bean land yields many more bushels 

 per acre than corn grown on the same land not ferti- 

 lized by soy beans. 



Alfalfa is a crop which is widely grown in west- 

 ern states. In Kansas and Nebraska especially, corn 

 grown on alfalfa land gives splendid returns. The 

 alfalfa roots penetrating the soil to a great depth 

 loosen the subsoil, and bring the soil fertility to the 

 surface where the corn plants can make use of it. Fur- 

 ther, it adds to the supply of soil nitrogen and in this 

 way prepares the soil for the corn crop. 



The only difficulty with alfalfa as a crop to be in- 

 troduced into a corn rotation is that there is consid- 

 erable trouble in securing a stand. Then the crop does 

 not reach its full producing capacity until several years 

 after seeding. This being the case, the alfalfa crop is 



