Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-09-19
What is a Full Stand of Corn.

What constitutes full stand of
corn under Iowa conditions has not
yet been fully determined. We no
tice that the corn experts fight rath-
er shy Of the question what consti-
tutes full stand of corn, but gen
orally they assume that three stalks
to hill by three-foot-eight-inch
planter may be regarded as, speak
ing generally, proper stand.
We bring up this question now,
apparently out of season, for the
purpose of getting our readers to
study their corn fields, and particu-
larly those in sections where there
has been a shortage of rainfall dur
ing July and the first half of August.
Except on very good land, we think
they will agree with us that a three
stalk stand has been too much this
year, and that they made mistake
in having their seed corn as good as
lit was. While on the richer lands
in northern and central Iowa and in
sections where the rain has been
tabuntiant they will conclude that
three stalks to the hill is not too
many, and wonder if the land would
not have stood more. The fact is,
this question of what constitutes a
full stand of corn-that is, the crop
that produces the greatest number
Of bushels-cannot be determined
for all sections of the country, nor
for all farms in the same section,
nor for all fields in the same farm,
nor for the same farm in all years.
This year in many sections farmers
will suffer not from the short stand
but from stand too full. Seed corn
was good this year. Farmers are
getting good results with it where
the germ was justright, and while ther
was about twenty per cent. Of short
age in rainfall from March lst until
tasseling time, there was abundance
for the use of the corn during that
period of its growth. In fact, where
the soil is deep and rich the amount
of rainfall up to July lst is a minor
consideration every year, and it is a
great deal better to be short than
long The fields therefore came up
to tasseling time with full stand
and a rank growth. Corn then be-
gan for the first time to demand
water, for, as we have so often stated
four-fifths of the dry matter in the
stalk and ear are put into the corn
plant from tasseling time to matur-
ity, and each pound of this dry mat.
ter demands from 275 to 300 pounds
Of water to pass through the stalk
When, therefore, the roots are
able to deliver the water to the stalks
whether they get it from above OF
below, a full crop of corn on full
stand is assured, if the storms DOM
come to beat it down or hail to dc.
stroyit. Wherever the soil has been
thin and at the same time there has
been deficiency of rain fall we think
it will be found that three stalks tc
the hill by a -foot-six incl
planter, or three e-foot-eight inch
will be found to be too much.
The lesson we draw, therefore, is
the richer the ground the greater
amount of stalks it will support
The thinner the land, the fewer. Il
the farmer was thoroughlyEacquain
ted with his land and knew the
amount of rainfall from the first O.
July to the middle of September he
} could know how to gauge his plant
er and make no mistake. Not know
ing that, it is impossible for him il
, advance to know what constitutes
the full stand of corn-that is,
stand of corn that will produce thu
: greatest possible number of bushel.
of sound corn.-Wallace's Farmer