242 



THE BOOK OF. CORN 



I — Many farmers attribute the failure of corn 

 to come up promptly to poor seed, if it does not appear 

 in due time under favorable conditions. A careful 

 examination of the seed itself should be made for 

 evidences of injury by wireworms, seed corn maggots, 

 etc, all of which do much damage frequently to seed 

 after it is planted. 



2 — At times young plants make a very unequal 

 start. Some hills will appear early and grow rapidly, 



Fig 89— Forms of Wireworms 



(Adapted from drawings by Forbes) 



while others are dwarfed and make no perceptible 

 growth. In such cases the roots should be searched 

 for the presence of the corn root louse. Very often 

 this insect attacks the sprouting plant before the leaf 

 shows above the ground. The presence of numer- 

 ous large brown ants in the corn land often burrow- 

 ing in the hills is also evidence that plant lice are at 

 work at the roots. At other times the corn may be 

 retarded in large patches, the leaves turning yellow at 



