The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1922-02-15
Study Of returns
IN CORN PLANTING

No gain is made in yield or ma
sprity by planting orr before condi-
tions of soil and atmosphere are right,
an the opinion Of the United States
department of agriculture. Corn grow
ers in localities with a long season
have observed that early and late
paintings of the same variety usually
show wide differences in, growth and
number of days required to reach
maturity. In general, corn which is
seeded early requires a longer time
TO come up than that which is planted
later. The plants also grow more
slowly, are shorter, and bear their
ears lower. These are commonly OBJ
served effects of the date of planting.
Studies recently have been made by
the United States department of agri-
culture at the Arlington EXperimnt-
al farm near Washington, D. c., in
order to obtain data which would sup
rlement that obtained earlier at the
various state experiment stations.
Numerous experiments have been con-
Quoted by the state agricultural ex-
pertinent stations to determine the in
fluence of the different dates of plant
ing on corn yields. The state ex-
periments reviewed indicate that the
best yields of grain may be expected
from the early seedlings and the most
rapid development and greatest
growth from the later seedlings.
Neither the extremely early nor the
very late paintings are desirable.
The department Investigations were
directed more to a study Of the effects
upon growth and development than
to determining the most desirable
date of planting from the standpoint
Of yield. The results Of these studies,
which extended over a f~ive-year pc
xiod, are presented In Department
Bulletin No. 1014, Effect Of Date of
Seeding on termination, Growth, and
Development of Corn, by E. B. Brown
and H. S. Garrison, which may be had
upon application to the department.
The varieties of corr used in the
experiments cover a wide range in
the length of the growing season re-
quired. The data tabulated are linn
tied to the characters that seem TO
have been consistently affected, al
though the points studies included the
rapidity of termination, the number
of days from emergence to ripening,
the height of stalks, the number of
ca aer plant, the average weight of
ears, the average yield per plant, and
the number of suckers.
In all the experiments the germina-
ton of corn increased in rapidity as
the date of seeding occurred later.
When sown early the s-hort-season
northern varieties came up sooner
than the varieties from the central
and southern states. When sown
later the differences in this respect
were not usually apparent.
The total growth of stalk was great
est from the seedlings in June and
May. The total growth was least ano
rate of growth slowest from the April
seedlings. Development was more ran.
i'd in the later than in the earlier seed.
ings.
The number Of ears per stalk, the
size OF the ear, and the amount oil
s~uckering bore no consistent relation
70 the date of seeding. The pollen.
shedding period was longer in plants
from the early seedlings than in those
from the later seedlings. Seeding.
earlier than normal resulted in Sigh
gains IN the date of Skiing.
These experiments corroborate tn.
conclusions of the state experiment.
stations, that corn may be planted i,