The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-06-13
Planting Late Corn.

vations and experiments in planting corn
in May, June and early July have now
over a period of eighteen years,
and some of the best crops OF corn, as
we'll as some of the most complete fail
ures that I have observed, have been
made from planting the corn in late
June or early July. The latest crop OF
corn that has been planted on the Ex-
pertinent Station, so far as l know, was
planted at Baton Rouge on July 9Th,
1903. This crop would have been dam
aged by frost, had the frost come earlier,
but we had late frost and the corn ma
tured and met every requirement for
feeding purposes, making nearly fifty
bushels to the acre, which was consid-
erably in excess of the yield OF any early
corn that knew of in this neighbor-
hood. On the other hand, we have had
some crops of late corn that were so
badly damaged by the ear worm that
the yield was not more than half that
secured from early planting. However,
on general average, corn planted from
the Goth of June to the 4th Of July will
make a good crop more than half of the
time, and will always pay for the labor
and other expense involved, provided
one plants Mexican June, Laguna, or
Yellow Creole. In case these varieties
cannot be secured the Hastings Prolific
will probably be one of the best varieties
that can be secured.
In the section now inundated there is
some danger of grass worms following
the recession of the waters, and they
sometimes completely destroy the crop.
These insects are. ordinarily kept in
subsection by their natural enemies,
chief of which are the ground beetles
which feed upon both the larval and the
adult stages of grass worms. These
beetles are destroyed in overflowed
areas, and after the recession of the
waters regain possession of the territory
slowly. The adult of the grass worm is
little moth that lays its eggs on the
young blades Of grass or corn, where
they hatch in about three days and grow
rapidly, reaching maturity in about ten
days. The chrysalis stage lasts fol
eight or nine days, so that the entire life
cycle is passed in about three weeks
and with this rapid reproduction they
soon take complete possession of terri
tory where their enemies have beer
killed out.
The habit of the grass worm is such
that it drops from its place of support
whenever it is disturbed, and it is the
custom of some farmers to attach a de.
vice to the pillow that will drag the corr
in advance of the pillow, causing the cat.
erpillars to drop off and be co yered
They can also be poisoned by using
Paris green mixed with five or six times
it's weight of air Stacked lime and dustet
on the corn, either with a blow gun O.
in the ordinary way of shaking it from
a porous bag as cotton planters ordina
rily poison cotton against the cottol
caterpillar.
It is very possible that the damag
that accrues to small areas that hav'
been inundated, where most observa
tons on this insect have been made, will
not follow in cases where large expanse
of territory have been under water; a
least it is not probable that there ar
enough of these insects on the higl
lands to become serious pest ate
they are disseminated, even should the,
invade the territory now inundated.
therefore, do not contemplate any seri
Gus damage over wide spread areas fror
this insect. It is, however, well to b
prepared for fighting these insects, a
they sometimes destroy crop betwee
the period that the farmer first observe
them and the time required to secur
Paris green from some distant point.
In case the root worm begins to dam
age the young corn, the best method c
fighting it is to throw some of the dill
from the roots of the corn and expose
to sunshine for short time and the
lap back the dirt with the cultivator.
1t is we'll to plant about twice as niue
seed per acre as under ordinary condi
tions, that is, using bushel Of seed
about three acres, and not thin out unit
the corn is fifteen to eighteen inche
high. After it reaches that stage tn
corn root worm cannot do very niue
injury to the crop.
Late planted corn should be cultivate
thoroughly and frequently while it
young, because itgrows very much moi
rapidly than early corn.
. If one desires to plant COW peas in lat
corn it is we'll to use an early maturin
J variety, and the New Era COW pea
probably the best variety for the ord
nary type Of soil for this purpose. b
J fore planting, thorough preparation ar
early narrowing will be time well spen
since this will help to destroy the insec
.. that might be maintained on youn
grass coming up where the land is NJ
allowed to become at all foul. Und,
} average conditions, more will be game
by fighting the early termination I
weeds and grass and insects than wou
! be lost by the delay in getting the Gre
} started.
Should the planting be delayed b.
yond the dates given above it wou
still be worth while to raise Gro