Smyrna times., 1917-04-04
GROWING CORN PROFITABLY
FIVE CORN
PRINCIPLES.

PRINCIPLES ted soil, proper
H.. planting, frequent,
seVeI and shallow cultivation. and
aOunoant Well-balanced pIantfood, are
tne tVe main essentials in successful
corn growing. Men, all over the coun-
Try VINO are growing seed and show
corn' the boys in the corn growing con-
teSts, and farmers who are producing
iarge 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 IT,
Tie as Junior wheat champion in
Iel5 with a yield of So 2-3 bushels per
acre on five acres.
Getting Early Maturity.
To know what fertilizers to apply
TO corn, it 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
strong stalk, and the transportation Of
the starch or plantfOod dlgested in the
leaf to the various parts of the plant.
While the corn plant cannot talk, II
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 a 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, II
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 cen
ammonia may be adequate along will
ten to twelve per cent phOsphoric aciC
and not over one or two per cent pot
ash.
The best results are now being OBJ
tained from the use Of from 400 to 60'
pounds of fertilizer to the acre on corn
The best way to apply the fertilizer 1
to put on about 100 pounds to the acr
with the fertilizer attachment Of tn
corn planter when planting the corr
and all amounts above this through tn
/ fertilizer attachment of the grain drill
or a lOw-dOwn lime and fertilizer dis
tributor before the corn is planted.
the corn planter has no fertilizer al
tachment, all the fertilizer may be al
piled before planting the corn, thrOug
the fertilizer attachment Of the graf
drill, or through a low-down lime an
fertilizer distributor, being careful
disk it we'll into the soil before tn
seed is put into the ground. With pre-
: ent prices for farm products, large
: Yields are more important than eve
: before. In fact, rising costs Of produ
ton make larger yields necessary Il
: profits.
5 Corn Profit.
f The growing of corn is a matter I
4 dollars and cents. The grower hi
e a right to expect a fair return on b
: money. This can only be secured
fulfilling every one of the five cardin
f principles of successful corn growing
b viz, Good seed, we'll fitted soil, prop
S planting, frequent level and shallo
e cultivation and abundant well-bs
anced plantfood. ]. w. HENCEROTl