Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-18
Sweet Corn Growing

Perhaps no vegetable plant is as easy
20 grow as the sweet corn. Given IFS
orincipsl requirements. fun sunlight.
socd fertility and cultivation durine its
esrly stages OF growth, the sweet corn
rsrelv II ever fails to yield satisfactory
crops. There is no spraying. outside ni
q little busting OF the young silks 10
combat the corn ear worm. Once IN 4
while an ear may be attacked WITH
black smut disease but this rarely oc-
ours in any Suficient quantity 10 cause
serious worry or losses, Were Il not Tor
this corn ear worm and the dreaded
European corn borer which threatens
- come here shortly. the sweet corn
might be termed a pest-free plant
Many home gardeners make the mis-
take Of planting sweet corn too thiCkly.
with result that the plants are
crowded and the cars are made small.
Another mistake is IN planting III
single rows. IN this case pollination Is
otter very poor and uneven because
much Of the pollen from the taSselS
simply blows 10 the ground without
corins in cont&c; with the silks Of the
esq. Each silk runs 10 a Eernet and
each Kernel must be pollinatcd II II Is
10 Al out Thus in poorly pollinateo
ears there are missing kernels ana un-
piante6 III blocks Of several rows, no
such trouble results, As the drifting pol
len reaches all the silks. Plant breeders
DESIRING 10 cross two varieties Of corn
simply plant them in alternate rows.
removing the taSsels OF one variety be-
lore pollen shedding begins. Iile
gardener who has observed the ground
beneath corn plants 10 b. virtually
csrpeted with yellow pollen Is aware Of
tire tremendous excess provided by ma
ture 10 insure pollination.
The popularity Of the yellow varieties
O. sweet corn has led TO 8 lot OF sweet
corn breeding In recent years. Where
few years aSo there were only tvo
CT three yellow sweet cornS. there are
now dozenS of varieties. Selecting
PLANTS which bear large, well filed cars
sS seed parents will also benefit Yields
and help 10 maintain good varieties.
VIM T. Simmons Of Takoma Park is
one OF the local gardeners who by per-
Sistent and careful selection has de-
vslope6 an extremely productive strain
~ sweet corn Market gardeners pay
great deal OF attention to this feature
e corn growing. realizing that good
SEED is the basis of satisfactory pro-
cuetior, However, the average home
gardener may continue 10 rely on The
commercial Seedsmsn because they. too.
are taking greater precautions in ths
selection Of their sweet corn seed.
The Penderosa Tomato.
The Ponderosa tomato. or perhaps to-
n1atoes. for there are red and yellow
strains. is distinctly a home garden
vegetable. Large size and irregular
shape are against the Ponderosa as
-wsA
know this variety that fully appreciate
1t. The flavor is not surpassed in any
other variety. the flesh is almost solid
81 that the fruits slice quite ike an
eople and there are comparatively few
seeds. The plants, If well cared for.
grow 10 ar unusual size and arc highly
desirable from the viewpoint Of the
home gardener who takes pride in the
unusual. For fruits TO exhibit in the
Autumn vegetable show no tomato can
offer the possibilities OF the Ponderosa
slnce il is not unusual 10 find fruits
weighing as much as pound The
principal asset of the Ponderosa is its
unusually high quality for eating I'M
cooked
Brown Rot OF Stone Fruits.
Vast quantities of peaches. pluns and
cherries are lost each wear from the
revages Of this well known diesse
which Is pest to the fruit grower and
frult consumer alike Who has not
bought basket of peaches or nIun7s
u apparently fine condition only to
lcse q considerable portion by a rapidly
developing decay. Brown rot is notably
disease Of the mature or nearly ma
tlre fruits but in some sections of the
country IS very destructive to fruit
blossoms as well Fortunately in this
locality brown rot is largely fruit
trouble
Two or three considerations concern
the amateur fruit grower in regard 10
this disease. One Is that the disease
may overwinter In the old dried fruits
left attached 10 the tree or lying on the
soil. II goes without saving that IT
Is very good practice to pick of and
pick Up these old fruits. called mum
mics. and destroy them before Sprinr
comes. Another point in brown rot con-
troll is the selection of varieties Farmers
Bulletin No. 1927. Peach Brown Rot
and Scsb," prepared by J. w Roberts
END j. c. DUNCAN. asserts that COM
n1ercisl varieties such as liberia, Car
man. Hiiey. Belle Of Georgia and J. II
Hale. are relatively resistant This re-
sistance is one reason for their COM
nercial superiority
Peaches grown on very rich soil o.
that excessively fortified with nitrogen
fertilizers either stable manure or