The Democratic advocate., 1909-05-21
no INCREASE CORN YIELD.
No Reason Why 1t Should Not Be 200
Bushels to the Acre.

When corn is planted 40 inches
apart each way there are 1855 hills
per acre. One ear to a mill would
make therefore. 1855 ears on an acre
of corn AS there arebare1y 100 small
ears to bushel of ear corn, 1856 ears
would make about 35 bushels, and so
It your corn averaged just one small
ear to a hill, planted as above, you
would raise 35 bushels to the acre.
The average yield per acre Tor a
few Of the best corn states for 1908
was as follows: Illinois, BIG bu
Iowa, S17 bu. Indiana, 303 bu.; Mis-
souri,, ~ bu Nebraska, "a bu.; Kan-
sas, 90 bu. RI Is perfectly plain that
many growers In all these states do
not get an average Of one small ear
to the hill, for in no state mentioned
is the average yeld per acre as much
as IS bu Since each hill contains
from one TO three good stalks there
should be an average OF three or four
fair sized ears 70 the hill. II Is easy
TO estimate what such q crop would
mean per acre by lust multiplying
IS BY three or four hen we figure
Il out. 2 yield of 100 bushels Of corn
on IN acTe VI ground does not seem
SO marYelous. 1t Just means good
reed. a good stand. corn that IL In
the habit OF producing two ears TO
the stalk usually. good soil and fair
season, and we have the combination
that is bound to produce heavy crop.
The International Cyclopedla says
In regard TO the productiveness Of
corn: 1T is by far the most produc-
tive OF all the cereals; In most cases
there is sn increase OF 500 for one.
This estimate does not seem high
enough A good sized ear of corn,
one having twenty rows Of kernels
OF forty kernels each contains over
500 Kernels The writer has just
counted one that has 22 rows Of an
average OF so kernels each. making
100 kernels. so 500 Kernels TO the
ear Is low estimate. One grain OF
corn, therefore, can produce stalk
and two ears Of corn and az 500 kern
els 10 the ear Il would have yielded
an increaae OF 1900 for one. Then
II we multiply TIE amount ~ seed we
sow per rcrc by 1900 we have the
yield that # would be possible 10 make
with a perfect crop.
IL takes a little moro than q biHhel
of Sc pounds OF ghellcd corn 10 plant
eight acres, where the hills are -
inches apart both ways According
TO our above figuring the perfect yield
for eight acros would be had rs multi
plying the one bushel by le0e. Il
amounts to 200 busheiA per acre.
That Fl not out Of the realm Of the
possible. In feet II has been beaten
on small plots. Yields of 225 bushels
Of corn on an acre of ground have
been recorded. But af course. taken
on an average. the Yield per acre viii
not be 50 many times the amount Of
seed suwn
The production ~ good geed. and
the planting of good seed hy the gem
eral farmer Is one Of the most lm-
portant subjects connected with
growing of corn The same facts are
true IN the raising ~ corn ne Ia the
raising Of live stock Like viii beget
like and you can breed up corn Just
the same az you ean breed 30 herd
of cattle You can strive for certain
good lu9lities. aud corn bred for cer-
tain charafterisfIcH long enough Ia
sure 10 increase its certaluness and
ability 80 transmit lts good qualities
70 the next generation This Is why
corn will finally run out, or nearly 40.
II the same seed- harvested from ths
same fields Is used year after year.
and especially by the old method OF
selecting the ears from the crib.
where the tendencies of the stalk can.
not be learned