Milford chronicle., 1918-04-05
APPEAL TO GROWERS.

This communication consisted Of tn
following bulletin sent out by Perdu
University at Lefayette. Ind, containing
information Of value on sweet corn ant
its cultivation:
PERDUE UNIVERSITY
Dept. Of Agricultural Extension
C. !. Christie, Supt.
Lafayette, Ind.
CORN FOR THE CANNING FACTORY
By c. B. Sayre and Fec. Gaylord,
Division of Horticulture
Sweet corn has become. next to the
tomato, the most important canning croI
in Indiana. 1t furnishes a succulent food
of considerable value which makes it an
important crop in these times when food
is so important. Like tomatoes, is can
be easily shipped and kept under any
climatic conditions.
Sweet corn can be handled on field
basis the same as other general farm
crops and has the following advantages:
]. Fits in rOtation.-Follows any crop
and produces a cash" crop. II puts the
land in fine condition for any crop which
may follow
. Bulk Marketng.-No expensive
packages are need to market this crop.
1t can be grown and handled with the
ordinary farm equipment.
3. Assured a Market-Sweet corn is
contracted for in advance at a definite
price per ton so that no efforts are nee
'essary 70 find market You are sure
of fixed price without the chance of
a loss from a glutted market.
T. Easy on Soil.-Sweet corn, being 20
per cent water, takes out less plant food
than most farm crops. Besides this it
comes off Of the ground in time to pre-
pare the soil in good shape for wheat
which should follow in the rotation.
Surveys over the State have proven
conclusively that sweet corn will yield
about five bushels more wheat when fol-
lowing sweet corn than if planted after
any other crop.
5. Value of Stalks as a Siage Crop
The stalks after the marketable ears
have been pulled, leaving the nubbins,
have been found to make one Of the best
dairy and cattle feeds Obtainable 1t is
highly nutritious and more greedily eaten
BY stock than any other kind of silage.
The following average analysis shows
its value as compared to field corn.
Sweet Corn silage:
Water Ash Protein Fibre Starch Fat
us 10 % S.3S l4.95 .75
Field Corn silage:
Water ASH Protein Fibre Starch Fat
79.l IA IL so ITO $
This is comparison of sweet corn
after marketable ears have been sent to
the market and Of the field corn ears and |
all.
It shows that sweet corn contains less !
water crude fibre and ash. and more pro-
tein and starch and as much fat as whole /
fold ef1aua Eonafdariuu 1naf
corn will yield from ~ to tons Of en-
silage to the acre, you have a by-prOduct |
that is worth more than half as much |
as the silage from the same land placed |
in field corn.
6. Early Feed.-Sweet corn natures in /
August and early September and rough
age can be used at this time and thus
save the field corn which has not sufh-
ciently matured to be Of greatest value.
Just at this time dairy feed commands
a high price and the sweet corn will fill
in as a valuable feed.
Z. Pumpkins at an IntercrOp.-Last
year many Indiana farmers who grew
sweet corn made large profits from the I
use Of pumpkins planted in the sweet
corn. Reports Of returns as high as $50
per acre were recorded. The pumpkin
seed is planted In the missing hills, since
these can not be replanted to corn. as it
would not mature in time TO be harvested
with the earlier planting
Ground to be intercepted must be rich
to produce good crops Of both corn and
pumpkins. II corn is planted too thick
and then Intercepted with pumpkins.
reduced yields win occur
Soils.
Soils adapted to the growing Of field
corn will produce good yields Of sweet
corn. The soil must be rich to produce
largest yields. Clay loans or sandy loans
rich in plant food and organic matter
win without doubt return largest yields
Besides these qualifications. good drain
age is essential
Size Of FIELDS.
Best yields are secured on fields Of ten
to twenty-five acres, as farmers putting
this much to the crop viii place il on good
soil and give 1t equally as good attention
as they do their field corn.
Fields Of this size produce enough stalks
to I'LL the average size siio Of 30 to rs
tons, and so the by-product Is handled
more economically.
Preparation Of the Seed Bed.
It Is well to disk the land before plow-
Ing and then plow 80 that the soil win
be well pulverized the full depth Of the
'urrow slice. After plowing disc both
ways, harrow with a spike tooth and
irag or finish of with a planker.
II is essential that the seed bed be
thoroughly prepared. This win be a long
vay In securing large Yields.