Middletown transcript., 1917-04-14
GROWING CORN PRoFITABLY

r,vr copn Good seed, weII-fft.
en,Mc,p,Ee ted soil, proper
planting, frequent,
level and shallow cultivation, and
abundant weII-baIanced pIantfood, are
the five main essentials in successful
corn growing. Men, all over the coun-
try, who are growing seed and show
corn, the boys in the corn growing con-
tests, and farmers who are producing
large and profitable yields are practic-
ing these five cardinal principles OF
successful corn growing. In 1912,
Dewey Hanes, an Ohio boy, raised 139
bushels per acre, in 1915 he brought
the yield up to 153 bushels, and last
year, 1916, poor corn year, he again
won the first prize in Ohio with a
yield OF 1878 bushels per acre, thus
winning the title, champion Corn
! Grower of Ohio" He also won the IL
tie as Junior wheat champion in
1915 with a yield of So % bushels per
acre on five acres.
NSSAiiS 6oTly maturity
To know what fertilizers to apply
to corn, 1t is necessary to know the
duties of these three plantfoods. Nj
trOgen, usually referred to as ammonia.
is very largely concerned with the pro-
ductiOn of stalk growth and giving
color to the plant. If you see a short,
stunted yellOwish or pale green plant.
1t means that the soil is deficient in
ammonia. Phosphoric acid produces
a large root growth, aids in forming
the ear on the stalk produced by nitro
gen, hastens maturing and improves
the quality.
1t invariably happens that corn will
mature from ten days to two weeks
earlier on a field well supplied with
phosphoric acid than it will on a field
deficient in phosphoric acid. This
length of time frequently means the
difference between soft and mature
crops. The third plantfood, potash. is
largely concerned in producing a
strong stalk, and the transportation OF
the starch or plantfood digested in the
leaf to the various parts of the plant
While the corn plant cannot talk, il
has way of telling us when it is
hungry for certain plantfoods. If We
bear the preceding facts in mind, and
observe our growing corn, we viii be
able to tell just what plantfoods they
require.
What the Corn Needs.
A good corn fertilizer should have
from one to three per cent ammonia.
eight to twelve per cent phosphoric
acid, and two to four per cent potash
unless it is used on muck soil where
from six to ten per cent potash should
be used when it can be purchased. If the
fertilizer is to be used on a sandy soil, il
should have at least two to three pei
cent ammonia, eight to ten per cent
phosphoric acid, and two to four pei
cent potash. For corn on a clay soil
especially If there has been some live
stock manure applied, two per cent
ammonia may be adequate along with
ten to twelve per cent phosphOric acid
and not over one or two per cent pot
ash.
The best results are now being oh
tained from the use of from 400 to 60C
pounds of fertilizer to the acre on corn
The best way to apply the fertilizer is
to put on about 100 pounds to the acre
with the fertilizer attachment of the
corn planter when planting the corn
and all amounts above this through the
fertilizer attachment of the grain drill
or a lOw-down lime and fertilizer dis.
tributor before the corn is planted. II
the corn planter has no fertilizer at.
tachment, all the fertilizer may be ap,
piled before planting the corn, through
the fertilizer attachment of the grain
drill, or through low-down lime and
fertilizer distributor, being careful tG
disk It well into the soil before the
seed is put, into the ground. With pres
ent prices for farm products, larger
yields are more important than ever
before. In fact, rising costs of produc-
ton make larger yields necessary for
profits.
Corn Profit
The growing of corn is q matter OF
dollars and cents. The grower has
a right to expect a fair return on his
money. This can only be secured by
fulfilling every one of the five cardinel
principles Of successful corn growing
viz, Good seed, we'll fitted soil, proper
planting, frequent level and shallow
cultivation and abundant welI-bal.
anced pIantfood. J. w. HENCEROTH