The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-02-10
CORN GROWING.
Importance of Planting Methods Where
Either Heat or Moisture Is Liable
to Be Deficient.

The methods employed in planting
corn are especially important in regions
where either moisture or heat is insult
ficient. The following suggestions, taken
from farmers bulletin 773, are made by
G. p. Hartley and l.. j.. Zook of the Office
Of corn Investigations, bureau OF plant
industry, United States department Of
agriculture.
Listing, or planting in burrows, is the
most common and best method of plant
ing corn in large part of the semi-arid
area. II is not only economical, as it
permits large acreages to be handled at
: the least cost, but it also places the
plants to the best advantage to with
stand drought. AS the burrows are closed
by cultivation, the plant roots are placed
well below the surface. A deep soil
mulch can be maintained without injury
to the roots, The plants are more Sc
curely braced to Withstand winds than
when surface planted.
In some semi-arid sections early sum-
mer conditions are favorable for rapid
growth. The plants make tender. rap
| i'd growth and become larger than the
later moisture supply will support. List
ing retards this rapid early growth and
is often decided advantage on this ac-
count.
Where the seasons are very short, sur
face planting is better than listing, as
the retarding of early growth leaves the
plants insufficient time to reach matur-
ity. Where surface planting is practiced
on fairly level land it is usually advisable
to plant in checks TO permit cross Guilt
ra finr, Gulf Il
and grass control easier. 1t also assists
cultivation, drying and warming larger
part of the soil surface.
A thin stand of plants is an essential
feature of successful corn growing in re.
gions of limited moisture supply. When
planting is done with lister in rows
three to three and a half feet apart, the
plants should be one in place and from
Is to SO inches apart, depending upon
the rainfall and the fertility and the
water holding capacity of the soil. In
surface planted corn with the hills three
and one-half feet apart each way, the
stand should not be thicker than two
plants per hill. Even with the best seed
more kernels should be planted than the
number of plants desired. Some young
plants, mostly the weaker ones, will per.
ish.
The usual distance between corn rows
is about three and one half feet, which |
is convenient distance for cultivating. |
With the rows at this distance the roots |
meet between the rows and occupy all of |
the upper soil before the corn comes into |
tassel
In certain droughty sections, where
the seasons are comparatively long, in |
creasing the width OF row to seven feet |
and doubling the stand in the row has
been found to be an advantage. On ac-
count of being close together within the
rows the young plants compete for the
nearby moisture and are prevented from
making too rapid and too tender a
growth. The roots do not meet between
the rows until the plants have about
reached their full growth, and the mois
ture in the soil between the wide rows
benefits the plants at the time they are
forming ears. Where the summers are
long other crops, or another crop OF corn.
can be planted later in the season be.
tween the seyen.foot rows if the seasonal
rainfall proves sufficient.
The success Of the crop depends upon
having the corn reach the ear.forming
period when moisture and heat are avail
able at the same time. The chances are
by making very early and a
late planting of an early maturing va
riety. Using seed of an early maturing
variety in one planter box and seed of
maturing variety in the other box
increases the chances of having some
plants reach the ear-forming period when
moisture and heat are available at the
Iame time.
Corn should not be covered with more
han one and half or two inches of soil {,
except when the surface is dry and it is
necessary to plant deeper to reach moist
,oil In cold, heavy soils one inch is
- -