South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-02-17
PLANTING METHOD
IS IMPORTANT
Different Practices Are Essen
tial in Various Climates
and Soil Conditions.

The methods employed in planting
corn are especially important in re-
gions where either moisture or heat
is insufficient. The following sug-
gestions. taken from farmers bulle-
tin 773, are made by c. p. Hartley
and L. l.. ZoOk, of the office of corn
investigations, bureau of plant in
dustry, United States department of
agriculture.
Listing, or planting in burrows. is
the most common and best method
Of planting corn in a large part of
the semiarid area. IT is not only
economical as 1t permits large
acreages to be handled at the least
cost but it also places the plants to
the best advantage to withstand
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 securely braced to
withstand winds than when surface
planted.
summer conditions are favorable for
rapid growth. The plants make a
tender rapid growth and become
larger than the later moisture sup
p'y Will support. Listing retards
this rapid early growth and is often
decided advantage on this account.
Where the seasons are very short,
surface planting is better than list
ing. as the retarding of early
growth leaves the plants insufficient
time to reach maturity. Where
surface planting is practiced on
fairly level land it is usually advis-
able to plant in checks to permit
cross cultivation. Cross cultivation
makes weed and grass control cas-
ier 1t also assists cultivation, dry
ing and warming a larger part Of
the soil surface.
Where Thin Stand is Essential.
A thin stand of plants is an essen
tial feature of successful corn grow
ing in regions of limited moisture
supply. When planting is done with
lister in rows to 1-2 feet apart,
the plants should be one in a place
and from Is to So inches apart. de-
pending upon the rainfall and the
/ fertility and the water-h holding ca
pacity of the soil. In surface plant
ed corn with the hills 1-2 feet
apart each way, the stand should
not be thicker than two plants per
| hill. Even with the best Of seed
more kernels should be planted than
] haV nF MD M a
young plants. mostly the weaker
ones. will perish.
The usual distance between corn
rows is about 1-2 feet, which is a
| 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 comparative
/ ly long, increasing the width of row
to seven feet and doubling the stand
in the row has been found to be an
advantage. On account of being
/ close together within the rows the
young plants compete for the near
1 by moisture and are prevented from
making too rapid and too tender a
! growth. The roots do not meet be-
/ tween the rows until the plants have
| about reached their full growth, and
/ the moisture in the soil between the
wide rows benefits the plants at the
time they are forming ears. Where
Y the summers are long other crops,
or another crop Of corn, can be
planted later in the season between
/ the seven-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 available at the same time.
( The chances are increased by max
/ ing a very early and a late planting
OF an early maturing variety. Using
seed of an early-maturing variety in
one planter box and seed Of a late
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 same time.
Corn should not be covered with
more than ] - or > inches of soil
except when the surface is dry and
il is necessary to plant deeper 10
reach moist soil In cold he3.v