The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-06
CORN CULTURE.

In season to be of value by way Of
suggestion to farmers who will plant
corn this spring, comes Bulletin No. 81,
Of the Illinois Experiment station, Civ
ing a summary of the corn experiments
of that station. The test of varieties
shows important differences in the sew
eral varieties of dent corn, and empha-
sizes the need of a careful selection of
varieties by the farmer. Those classed
as medium maturing varieties have
usually given the best results. In six
out of seven years. the medium matur-
ing corn gave larger yields than either
the early or the late varieties. Inc
average of seven years trial is, for the
medium maturing varieties, 6o.2 push
els of air-dried, shelled corn per acre;
the late 5S.S bushels, and the early $50
bushels. The yield of the medium ma
turing varieties as cultivated at the
station is about $500 ears to the acre,
weighing a half pound each. The
stalks are about nine feet tall and
bear ears at rather more than four
feet. The height of the stalk and
weight of the ear is less in the early
maturing, and greater in the late,
while the number of ears is less for
the late and about the same for the
early, an average of about eighty
three per cent. of the kernels planted
producing mature stock. BarrenneSs
does not seem to be variety charac-
teristic. 1t will vary more with the
thickness of planting and nature of the
season, there being more barren stalks
in an unfavorable year. or Whan PLAN
ted thick, than in favorable year, or
when planted thin. The white varie-
ties have given larger yields than the
yellow ones.
AS to time Of planting, the largest
average yield was obtained from
planting from the 18th to the 18th of
May, with very little less from
planting any time from April eth 10
the 25th of May. Very early planting
usually requires more cultivating and
frequently produces the poorest stand.
AS to the depth of planting, enc inch
deep gave at the Illinois station Better
results than planting at any greater
depth. The question. however, is
largely one of soil conditions and the
true rule is to plant at no more than
sufficient depth to get moisture 10 ger
inmate the seed. The soil at the Hi
nois station where a depth of one inch
was found best, was the dark colored,
prairie soil, common to central Illinois,
the surface soil being about eighteen
inches deep and underlaid with yellow
clay. The rainfall was somewhat
short, the aggregate for the i've grow
ing months being 12.43 inches. well dis
tributed through the months from May
to September.
AS to thickness of planting, when
planted in rows three feet, eight inches
apart, the largest yield of grain was
obtained from four kernels in hill
In connection with this point, IL will
be well to bear in mind what has al
ready been said in relation 10 the
character of the soil.
As to planting in hills or drills. fire.
quency of cultivation, depth of cultiva-
ton and the effect of root pruning, the
conclusion is announced that there is
no difference between planting in hills
and drills, except that the hills give
chance for the best cultivation; that is,
for cultivation both ways. Shallow
cultivation has given better results
than deep, the average yield for five
years being SO bushels greater for the
shallow cultivation than for the deep.
Root pruning has always reduced The
yield, and very frequent cultivation has
never shown sufficiently better results
to justify its practice. Better crops
can be produced without other cultiva-
ton than merely scraping the surface
to kill weeds, than are secured by deep
cultivation.
Regardin, rotation, it has been found
Ut lQe lilluOlS SldllOu that TIE lttTSeSS
average yield of corn has been OBJ
tanned by the liberal annual applica-
ton of barnyard manure. while much
larger yields have been secured by ro-
tation than by continuous cropping,
whether without any manure or by the
use Of commercial fertilizers. Barn
yard manure has given its poorest re-
suits in very dry years.
AS to Decentralization, II is found
that crossing varieties has usually in
creased the yield. Ten Of the most
promising crosses grown at the sta
ton in 1892 were replanted in 1898 and
again grown in 1894, on plats of con-
siderable size, and at sufficient dis
lance apart to prevent the infernifig-
ling of the pollen. Six of these are
reported in detail. and IN four of the
six the cross gives a larger yield than
either of the two parent varieties. The
suggestion is made that Farmers can