The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-04-28
Glle 9armer.
Growth of Corn.

As it will soon be the season Tor plant
inc corn, a few observations respecting the
conditions most favorable for termination
and growth are here taken from the bulle-
tin issued by DIR. Sturtevant, OF the New
York Experimental Station, The exPe-
rience of last year showed better results
from shallow than from deep-planted corn
kernels, and experiments in the greenhouse
show that the corn grains have the power
to terminate after being dried repeatedly,
and under conditions far more adverse than
would occur in the open field. One OF the
best assistants to favorable termination was
The compacting of the soil around the seed
at the time of planting, and the difference
was very marked as compared with seeds
not 50 treated
Regarding the nutrition OF corn plants,
of the physiological processes connected
with such. the first is assimilation, through
which the food is taken, through the root
and through the leaf, in the presence OF
sunlight. and stored in the plant. Then,
by chemical process within the plant, tins
stored material from the air Is deoXydlzed
and formed into soluble material, designed
for the support of growth or for storage
II, therefore follows that in the darkness
a plant can only grow from the material
which has hitherto been elaborated, and
when this elaborated material has been
utilized there can be no more growth until,
through the action Of the sun, new material
is supplied by assimilation, The corn ker-
mel is composed of germ or chit, sur
rounded by IA mass of material placed there
for the use of the terminating plantlet.
The distance to which the plant can grow
anart from the light is determined by this
amount of prepared food; consequently the
large seed is enabled to push It's plantlet
through greater depth of soil on its way
to the surface than is the small seed
An ordinary-sized flint (white) corn can
carry its plantlet through eight inches OF
soil, but many plantlets perish in such en-
deayor The seed vegetables under one
half inch of soil more quickly than under
six inches. and the growth, instead OF De
inc massed into extension of stem, passes
info the formation of leaf and the lncreas-
mo Of the organs of assimilation. Differ
ent degrees of depth in planting showed a
like firm roofing and the same power to
withstand heavy winds. The flint varle-
ties. when underripe, terminate readlI y, but
the dent varieties must be ripe. In the
former the kernel hardens from the outside
inward. and in the latter from inside ont
ward Manuring in the hill was of little
benefit toward increasing the growth OF the
plant in its earlier stages, the manure spread
around the hill being more effective. Tn
I'll the nutritive substance is exhausted
from the seed those grown III pure sand
grew as well as those on rich soil. Obser-
yations seem to show that the young plants
feed, in their first stages, very slightly from
the soil The plants appear from the SOIL
in from ten to fourteen days after planting,
form their leaves quickly, and then seem to
stand still for warmer weather; but during
that time the roots are being extended.
gettine their foot-hold in the soil, so that
in short time, starting from this period
of repose, they begin to show that ylgor
and Insurance with which we are all so
familiar.