244 
The Garden Magazine, June, 1920 
that it is altogether covered. Where manure cannot be had use 
a mixture of dried blood, bonemeal, and wood ashes raked into 
the top soil. 
Always plant more than a single row, as otherwise the ears 
may not fill out well; the best method is planting in blocks. 
Early and dwarf varieties can stand as close as two feet between 
the rows, but the taller ones require 3 to 4 feet between rows. 
Sometimes the corn is planted in hills with 2 to 3 seeds in each 
placed 3 to 4 feet apart in each direction. For the home garden 
sowing in rows seems really better. 
There is less danger of planting Sweet Corn too deeply than 
with any other vegetable. June plantings are usually placed 
a little deeper than earlier plantings to make sure that plenty 
of moisture reaches the seed. One-and-a-half inches is about 
right for the average soil but 
for sandier soil 2 inches and 
for heavier ones 1 inch of cover 
will suffice. When planting in 
rows drop the seed 3 to 4 
inches apart in the furrow — 
laid out with a line to get it 
perfectly straight. A half 
pound of seed planted in this 
way will plant 5 rows 50 feet 
long. Cover the seed with the 
soil to the required depth and 
use the back of the rake or the 
full sole of the shoe to bring 
the seed in firm contact with 
the soil. After a few days the 
sprouts will appear and the first 
cultivation can be given. Al- 
ways remember that the roots 
of corn are formed quite close 
to the surface and that only 
the very surface of the soil must 
be loosened up. A fine dust 
mulch is all that is needed. 
Thin when the plants are 3 
to 5 inches high, pulling up 
two out of every three plants, 
leaving the strongest. With 
tall growing varieties three of 
every four plants should be 
taken out. 
When the spears are about 
a foot tall give an application 
of nitrate of soda — about a 
handful thinly sprinkled along- 
side the row, keeping away 
from the plants, since it would 
burn any part with which it 
came in contact. Then scratch 
it lightly into the surface soil. 
After the corn is 2 to 3 feet 
high bone meal can be given 
as a top dressing — a handful 
to five feet of row. As the 
plants grow taller draw up some 
earth to the first node above 
the soil where you will find 
short brace-roots are forming. 
This will strengthen the holds 
of the plants on the ground 
and they will not easily break or bend down under high 
winds. 
Corn planted as closely as in the home garden can hardly be 
cultivated when nearing its full growth, but that does not 
matter. The dense foliage keeps the hot sun off the ground and 
prevents drying out. Occasionally work through the patch 
with a hand hoe to loosen the surface and take out weeds. 
As the ears get plump keep a close eye on the patch. As 
soon as the “silk” begins to turn brown open up the tip of a few 
ears to ascertain if the grains are plump and full. Press the 
finger nail into the kernels to find out their condition. If they 
have gone past the milky stage into the dough-stage they are 
at the highest sugar content period and are ready for the table. 
But remember that all the soil preparation and cultural at- 
tention will go for nought if you neglect to cook the corn within 
the hour of pulling. The less the elapsed time between pulling 
the ears from the stalks and placing them in the boiler, the better 
the taste. Before going into the garden put the kettle on the 
stove filled with fresh water and add a little salt. By the time 
you have picked the ears the water will be nearly boiling. Clean 
the husks and all the silk from the ears, and when the water is 
actually boiling drop in the 
ears and cook for about 5 
minutes. Don’t boil for half 
an hour if you care to enjoy 
its tender and sweet flavor. In 
serving bring it to the table 
steaming hot and eat it before 
it cools off. 
If you are a stranger to 
the superior Sweet Corn start 
with a good standard variety 
— one that is known for qual- 
ity, even though the descrip- 
tion in the seed catalogue may 
not be quite as attractive as 
that of some high priced 
novelty. To begin with the 
early sorts I do not hesitate 
to give the first place to 
Golden Bantam. It is really 
the sweetest of all and has a 
buttery flavor of its own. It 
is also a typical home garden 
variety, having stalks 4 feet 
high usually bearing two ears 
on a plant. There are records 
that it has matured in 60 days 
from planting, but such a short 
time is exceptional; but you 
can bet on having it in 75 
days from planting. Golden 
Giant is a cross between 
Golden Bantam and Howling 
Mob, with larger ears, a bigger 
plant, and more leafage than 
Golden Bantam. Some people 
claim that it is as early but in my 
experience it is fully ten days 
later. These two give a good suc- 
cession and will appeal to the 
gardener who appreciates the 
yellow varieties. Another big 
yellow is Golden Rod (Bantam 
and Evergreen). Fordhook 
Early, a leader among early 
white varieties, produces ears of 
medium size with but a small 
cob and pearly white grains of 
finest flavor. Another, Aristo- 
crat, grows 4 to 6 feet tall and 
has ears 8 to 10 inches long. The broad white grains are very 
sweet. For main crop Country Gentleman and Evergreen can 
hardly be surpassed. White Evergreen has been selected from 
Stowell’s Evergreen for earlier maturity and the character of 
keeping its pure white color when put up in cans. Both possess 
the great advantage of being ‘‘ever green” — of holding their 
quality for an extended period. 
"I TELL YOU THAT CORN, TO BE REALLY SWEET 
MUST BE FRESH” 
Don’t grow good corn and let it spoil between the garden 
and the pot! Cook five minutes, within an hour of picking 
