The midland journal., 1917-05-04
HOW To SECURE
A UNIFORM STAND
IMPORTANCE OF GRADING SEED
CORN is EXPLAINED BY
AN EXPERT.
PROPERPLANTING IMPORTANT
County Demonstration Agents urge
Care In Planting To Avoid
Labor Waste.

College Park, April 26-The Mary
land Agricultural Extension Service
through its county demonstration
agents is encouraging every enort
on the part of farmers to secure uni
form stands of corn during the coming
season. Following the discussions OF
the importance the proper selection
of seed and the preparation OF tne
seed bed, w. B. Kemp, specialist IN
crops for the Extension Service, is
furnishing county demonstration
agents with instructions on the proper
planting of corn for their boys clup
members. He says:
Grading The Seed.
can important step toward secur-
! ing a uniform stand is to grade the
corn. If planter is used, grading Is
livery important because grains winch
vary in size and shape will not DROP
with regularity. Then too, uniform
seed will probably cause a greater
uniformity in the crop and it may be
easier to select sample for the fall
corn show and for seed the following
year. To do this, shell off and discard
!. the non-uniform kernels at butt and
tip of ear Next shell into separate
basin or other convenient receptacle
the corn remaining on each ear and
pour together only the corn from
those ears, the grains of which are
uniform in size and shape. Thus, your
corn will gradually be brought nearer
to the type desired.
Rate OF Planting.
''If the rows are three and one-half
feet apart, the corn should be planted
so that the stand may be thinned to
one stalk for each IL to 1S inches OF
row. If the corn is checked, or planted
so that it can be cultivated both ways,
this is equivalent to about three stalks
per hill Remember that better re-
suits will generally be obtained by
!, planting too thick and then thinning
to the stand desired, than by being
compelled after the corn comes up.
to replant thin or missing places.
Poor soil will not generally permit
such thick planting as rich soil, and
a thick stand on sandy land will suffer
more quickly from dry weather than
the same stand on field that is mod
erately stiff.
Checked corn can be kept clean
with less labor than corn which is
cultivated only one way, and the diff
erence in yield from the two methods
of planting is slight, therefore, unless
the ground is steep or entirely free
from weeds and grass, check planting
is generally preferred.
Depth Of Planting.
"The seed bed, season and character
of soil will all help to regulate the
depth to which corn should be planted.
Sandy soil permits deeper planting
than clay soil and dry weather per-
mits deeper planting than wet weather
Always plant the grain deep enough
so that it will be in contact with moist
soil, yet shallow enough so that the
Asprouts can be sent to the surface
! Without difficulty. Generally depth
of about one and one-half inches is one
that can be recommended.
Time To Plant.
"The more nearly your corn can
use the full spring and summer in
growth, the greater chance it has to
produce heavy crop. Therefore,
early planting is desirable. If it is
planted too early, however, there is
danger of set back and loss of some
of the plants in the cold spells which
are apt to follow planting. If there
is any one rule that can be given, it
is to plant about week after the first
corn in your section is usually
planted"