The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1917-02-02

office of corn investigations, bureau
of Plant Industry, in Farmers Buile-
tin 773. Corn Growing Under Drou-
ghty Conditions" proceed to discuss
in detail methods by which this bal
ance can be maintained. The following
facts are taken from this bulletin, re-
GENTLY published by the United States
Department of Agriculture.
Corn, the authors point out, pos
sesses characteristics which appear
/ to make it adapted to drought condi-
ltions, and on the other hand has quail
tiles which appear to make its posi-
bilities as crop for semi-arid regions
and call for special adjustments. In
producing given weight of feed or
ldry matter, corn uses less water than
certain other crops, as oats, clover or
lalfalfa. 1t is deep rooted and can II
necessary, draw water from depth
of five or six feet. In hot, dry weather
the rolling of the blades, reduces the
loss Of water. On the other hand, the
HEAT requirements and peculiar flow
ering habits Of this crop make 1t less
adaptable to semi-arid regions than
lother grain or forage crops.
Corn makes it's entire growth dur
ing the season of high temperature.
lgrowing best when the thermometer
so degrees to 100 degrees
Ferenheit. 1t can not grow In early
spring or late fall, and it's growth is
retarded during the summer by cold
nights or cool weather. 1t needs its
greatest supply Of moisture during
the summer weeks when droughts
are most likely to occur and when the
rains are less effective because of loss
from evaporation. In other words, the
growth at times when moisture condi-
tons are likely to be most favorable
while lack of moisture frequently re-
tards growth when heat conditions
are most favorable. The problem,
therefore, where heat is great and
moisture deficient, is to store up mois-
ture from lessening unduly such heat
as may be available.
In the case of corn which differs in
this respect from perfect Towering
plants, the setting of seed and the
filing of the ears are seriously inter-
fered with by summer droughts. Corn
has two kinds of flowers, the tassel
or pollen bearer and tho seed forming
or silk-bearing flowers. The pollen
from one falling on the silk of the
other is necessary to the development
of grain. Droughty conditions often
hastens the shedding of the pollen, but
delay the appearance of silks, with
the result that most Of the pollen Is
wasted. If fertilization is prevented in
this way, no amount of later rain can
cause kernals to form or make a good
lgrain yield. The corn crop Is some
times injured by hot winds that do
less damage to such crops as alfalfa
and the grain sorghums. The problem
here is by the choice of planting time
and the selection Of early maturing
about the double Towering of the corn
at times when drought is least Iabl,
Ito interfere with fertilization.
Everything that cora gets from tha
Isoil is in liquid form, and the crop can.
mot grow unless the soil contains
moisture to spare.
In our semi-arid regions the soils o.
the most part are fertile, and the lin
liting factor are eitht water or heat
Raising coiL may he !lkened to rtis'
ling steam n an engine. Too much wa
ter lowers the temperature, wherea,
too little water Is dangerous. Gr1wtt
can take place only wLere there IL ,