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 17304: 
 
CORN GROWING 
 
 A Manual for Corn Clubs 
 
 BY 
 
 ARETAS W. NOLAN 
 
 ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION, 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 
 AND 
 
 JAMES H. GEEENE 
 
 STATE LEADER, JUNIOR EXTENSION SERVICE, 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 
 CHICAGO NEW YORK 
 
 ROW, PETERSON AND COMPANY 
 
Copyright, 1917 
 ROW, PETERSON 
 AND COMPANY 
 
PREFACE 
 
 Whatever may be the status of the project system of 
 teaching other subjects, it is coming to be quite gen- 
 erally believed that the home project offers one of the 
 best methods for teaching elementary agriculture. The 
 essentials of the home project plan are as follows : 
 
 (1) a definite, detailed plan for work at home covering 
 a season, or a more or less extended period of time; 
 
 (2) it must be a part of the instruction of the school 
 in agriculture; (3) the parents and pupil should agree 
 with the teacher upon the plan; (4) the home work 
 must have competent supervision; (5) records and 
 reports of time, method, cost and income must be 
 honestly kept and submitted to the teacher. 
 
 In the study and practice of a vocational subject 
 such as agriculture, we may distinguish three aspects, 
 each involving distinct pedagogical characteristics and 
 special problems of administration. The first includes 
 the concrete, specific, or practical work, such as the 
 actual making of a garden, the raising of poultry, or 
 the growing of corn; the second involves a study of 
 such technical sciences as botany, physics, chemistry, 
 and the principles of the agricultural science relating 
 directly to the subject of agriculture under considera- 
 tion ; the third aspect includes such general information 
 as the history, economic values, and other interesting 
 facts of that particular phase of agriculture being 
 studied. Doctor Snedden states in his "Problems of 
 Secondary Education/ ' that the keynote of the newer 
 
 BUI 3 17304 
 
4 PREFACE 
 
 education in these fields is to be found in the devel- 
 opment of facilities for obtaining practical experience, 
 under conditions as nearly approximating those of the 
 actual vocation as can be obtained. 
 
 It is for the purpose of making as practical as pos- 
 sible some of the principles of scientific agriculture for 
 the boys and girls of the public schools, and to give 
 direct vocational value to such work that this little 
 book, the first of a series, was prepared. The plan is 
 to outline one project in each booklet, supplying the 
 project directions, practical exercises for laboratory 
 work, subject-matter for study and recitation, and note- 
 book forms for accounts and records. The school work 
 in elementary agriculture for a year could well be based 
 upon one or two of these projects, and the boys and girls 
 doing the work should be organized into a club and 
 affiliated with the State Boys and Girls Club movement 
 through the state leader, usually located at the State 
 College of Agriculture. 
 
 — The Authors. 
 
To the Teacher 
 
 With our changing social conditions, new duties, 
 formerly delegated to the home, have been thrust upon 
 the school. This has led to the introduction of some 
 "real life" subjects into the curriculum, among them 
 agriculture. It is not possible, however, to get the 
 desired results in teaching agriculture by using the 
 same methods used in teaching other subjects. The 
 teacher who attempts to teach agriculture alone and 
 unaided in the schoolroom has not only shouldered a 
 heavy burden but is not making the most of an 
 opportunity. 
 
 The business of the school is to help to develop men 
 and women of the right sort, not merely to teach boys 
 and girls reading, writing, and arithmetic. If agri- 
 culture is to justify its place in the curriculum, it must 
 contribute something more than mere facts. 
 
 The farmer of yesterday was an individualist. He 
 went his way, alone. The farmer of tomorrow will 
 work in a group. As a member of a farm bureau, or 
 cooperative association, he will buy and sell in 
 cooperation with his neighbors. Today he is not alto- 
 gether convinced of the necessity of such cooperation. 
 The next generation must learn it. The home project 
 club work should teach lessons of thrift, application 
 and perseverance, as well as of agriculture. The club 
 members will learn the benefits of group effort, and as 
 the farmers of tomorrow will be prepared to take part 
 in the great agricultural movements. 
 
 The teacher who uses this method to teach agricul- 
 
 5 
 
TO THE TEACHER 
 
 ture will not only lighten his burden by making every 
 home and farm a schoolroom, and every parent an 
 assistant, but he can, in part, meet the argument that 
 the average rural teacher is .unprepared to teach agri- 
 culture. Every community contains men who can help 
 to teach agriculture. They need to be discovered and 
 given direction. The teacher ^cannot be a specialist 
 in the treatment of all of the ills, social and economic, 
 to which the countryside is heir, but in his capacity 
 as leader he can seek out those who do know. 
 
 No method or plan can take the place of a good 
 teacher and most teachers will use their own methods 
 of carrying out the details of the club work. The 
 following suggestions may prove helpful. An advisory 
 committee of three or more patrons who are corn 
 growers will be of great assistance. The approval 
 and consent of the parents of every pupil should be 
 secured and facilities for work at home promised. 
 Trips to neighboring farms may be taken by an entire 
 school. 
 
 Every school should have an "exhibition day" when 
 school work may be inspected. Demonstrations of 
 interesting phases of school work by the pupils them- 
 selves will prove of interest. The corn exhibit, corn 
 stringing contests, and demonstration of testing seed 
 corn will be welcome features of such an "exhibition 
 day." 
 
 A resourceful teacher will think of many more ways 
 to interest the community and motivate the work. It 
 should be borne in mind that this little volume is not 
 like most school books. Its contents must be more 
 than studied. Unless put into practice on the farms 
 of the community it will have failed in its mission. 
 
 — J. H. Greene. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Part One. Corn Project Calendar 11 
 
 Part Two. Practical Exercises 22 
 
 1. Study of the Corn Plant 
 
 2. A Good Stalk from Which to Select Seed 
 
 3. Study of an Ear of Corn 
 
 4. Study of the Corn Kernel 
 
 5. Preliminary Study to Corn Scoring 
 
 6. Scoring Practice 
 
 7. Study of the Stand 
 
 8. Seed Corn Racks 
 
 9. Seed Corn Testers 
 10. Shrinkage in Corn 
 
 Part Three. Corn, the Great American Cereal 30 
 
 1. History and Importance 
 
 2. Types of Corn 
 
 3. Life History of the Corn Plant 
 
 4. The Corn Plant 
 
 5. Place of Corn in Crop Rotation 
 
 6. Fertilizing Corn Ground 
 
 7. Plowing for Corn 
 
 8. Testing Seed Corn 
 
 9. Planting the Corn 
 
 10. Cultivating Corn 
 
 11. Maturing of Corn 
 
 12. Selecting Seed Corn in the Field 
 
 13. Judging and Scoring Corn 
 
 14. Storing Seed Corn 
 
 15. Some Insects Injurious to Corn 
 
 16. Corn Products 
 
 Notebook Questions 59 
 
 Appendix 61 
 
 A Model Constitution for Boys' and Girls' 
 
 Clubs q\ 
 
 Parliamentary Practice: Hints and Sugges- 
 tions \ 62 
 
 Duties of Officers 63 
 
 References on Corn 64 
 
 Student's Notebook 65 
 
 7 
 
To the Pupil 
 
 We do not always like to take our school books 
 home. But this little volume is not like a regular 
 school book. It has a place in your home as well as 
 in your desk at school. 
 
 Perhaps your father or some neighbor has a set of 
 farm books and keeps track of how much his corn 
 ground "brings in" and how much it costs to fatten 
 his hogs. 
 
 In following out the plan of this little book, you 
 are farming for yourself, in a small- way, and keeping 
 a set of books. At the end of the season you will know 
 your exact yield and how much it cost to raise your 
 crop. 
 
 But besides learning about this big business of rais- 
 ing corn, you will be learning some other things that 
 are useful in "life. Success is not measured by the 
 number of things that you start but by the number of 
 things that you finish. The summer may be hot, other 
 work may press, but if you "stick to your job" you 
 will not regret it when fall comes. You will get in 
 the habit of not giving up. Remember that drought 
 or beating rains affect the farm of one hundred and 
 sixty acres as well as your own of one acre. 
 
 Accuracy is a valuable habit to acquire. Be sure 
 that your notes and records arc accurate. Mistakes 
 may not mean much now but may cost you money 
 
 8 
 
TO THE PUPIL 9 
 
 some day. Remember, too, that a boy or girl who is 
 trying to learn never wants for help or friends. The 
 state club leader at your agricultural college, your 
 county agent and county superintendent of schools, as 
 well as your parents and teachers, are all interested in 
 you and want to help you succeed. Good luck ! 
 
 — J. H. Greene. 
 
PART ONE 
 CORN PROJECT CALENDAR 
 
 September 
 
 1. Organization of the club. See plans in the 
 appendix. The class in Agriculture, undertaking to 
 base its year's work upon the home project, should be 
 organized as directed by the club plan. Each member 
 of the class should become a member of the club and 
 plan to do all the work outlined for the project. Of 
 course the plan should meet with the approval of the 
 board of education and of the parents of the boys and 
 girls undertaking the project, and have the hearty 
 support of the county superintendent of schools and of 
 the teacher. The State Club Leader at the State Col- 
 lege of Agriculture should be notified of the organiza- 
 tion of the club so that he can send enrollment blanks 
 and all such literature and publications as will be help- 
 ful in the progress of the work. 
 
 2. Selecting the plot. For the corn growing project 
 we may well begin operations in September for the 
 next season's crop. The first thing each pupil should 
 do after the organization of the club is to select the 
 plot upon which he is to grow his corn. Not less than 
 an acre should be used for this project. It is to be 
 hoped that the father will allow the boy an acre of 
 good, well-drained, fertile land upon which to grow 
 his corn. 
 
 ll 
 
12 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 3. Notebook records. Each pupil should keep a 
 neat and accurate record of all operations, results and 
 accounts, month by month, on the record pages pro- 
 vided at the end of this book, so that when the project 
 is completed the pupil will have an agricultural booklet 
 be will be proud to exhibit. Throughout the notebook 
 work, pictures relating to the project may be sketched 
 or pasted in as the tastes and abilities of the pupil 
 incline. From time to time suggestions for the note- 
 book work will be made in this calendar. 
 
 4. The corn plot. Draw a map, to scale, of your 
 proposed acre of corn ground. Copy this neatly in your 
 notebook. Write the following information regarding 
 your plot of land : 
 
 (a) Location. 
 
 (b) Type of soil: sandy, clay, loam, upland, low- 
 land, etc. 
 
 (c) Cropping and treatment of the plot for the last 
 three years. 
 
 (d) Present conditions as to plant growth and 
 fertility. 
 
 (e) Drainage. 
 
 (f) Estimated value of the acre of land. 
 
 5. Selecting seed. Attention may well be given this 
 early in the project to the selection of the seed corn 
 for next spring. Send to the various seed corn breed- 
 ers of your state for their circulars ; also to the Inter- 
 national Harvester Company and to the State College 
 of Agriculture for bulletins on seed corn. 
 
 Go into the field and study good types of stalks and 
 ears from which seed corn should be selected. (Labo- 
 ratory exercises on this subject may precede this trip.) 
 Become thoroughly familiar with the ideal stalk and 
 
CORN PROJECT CALENDAR 
 
 13 
 
 1. An Ideal Stalk and Ear 
 
14 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 ear which should be selected when the time for husking 
 the seed corn comes. 
 
 October 
 
 1. Storing 1 seed corn. Devices for storing seed corn 
 should be planned and made this month. Each pupil 
 should make definite provision for storing his seed 
 corn in some of the various types of racks or devices 
 referred to under the discussion of this project. 
 
 2. Field selection of seed. Before freezing weather 
 or severe frosts, the seed corn to be used in this project 
 should be selected in the field and brought in for 
 drying and storing. 
 
 The only satisfactory way of selecting seed corn is 
 in the field where one can take into account the whole 
 plant. The ear should be taken from a leafy stalk 
 that is well developed, standing at proper distance 
 from other stalks and grown under normal conditions. 
 It should be supported about midway up the stalk on 
 a short shank inclined slightly downward. Desirable 
 ear characteristics are given in standard score cards. 
 Since the pupil is to select for only a small planting- 
 area, great care should be taken to select and store the 
 best seed corn possible. Determine the number of ears 
 required to plant an acre of corn. Select several times 
 this number for storing. 
 
 Dry cellars, basements or attics, if free from mice 
 and rats, may be used for storing corn. The old prac- 
 tice of hanging seed corn from rafters is a good one 
 to use until the corn is finally stored for the winter. 
 Corn contains considerable moisture, the germ is a 
 living thing, and the vitality of the corn may be seri- 
 
CORN PROJECT CALENDAR 15 
 
 ously injured if it is allowed to freeze. Record in 
 notes: (1) Amount of seed selected. (2) Where 
 obtained. (3) Variety of corn. (4) How stored. 
 
 3. Soil treatment of the plot. Attention should be 
 given this fall to the proper treatment of the soil of 
 the plot to be planted. If a clover crop has been grow- 
 ing to be plowed under, it would be a great advantage. 
 In any case, an application of five or six tons of farm 
 manure should be applied to the acre. Most soils are 
 deficient in phosphorus, and there would likely be 
 beneficial results from applying about one ton per 
 acre of finely ground raw rock phosphate. The whole 
 crop's residue, clover, manure, and rock sulphate, 
 should be plowed down this fall to decompose and 
 become available for plant food for the corn crop of 
 next season. 
 
 We must be sure that the soil is not sour. Get some 
 blue litmus paper at the drug store. Make up a moist 
 ball of the soil and insert the litmus paper. If after 
 five or ten minutes the litmus paper turns pink or red 
 we have evidence that the soil is acid. Limestone cor- 
 rects acidity, and if the soil of the proposed plot is 
 acid, from two to three tons of ground limestone should 
 be applied to the land and disked in after the fall 
 plowing. 
 
 The pupil should keep a record in his notebook of 
 all that is done by way of soil treatment on his plot. 
 
 (1) What crop residue" is present? 
 
 (2) How much manure applied? When? 
 
 (3) How much phosphorus applied? When? 
 
 (4) When the plot was plowed. Depth. Was the 
 ground disked? 
 
 (5) How did you test for acidity? Was your soil 
 sour ? 
 
16 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 (6) How much limestone applied? When? 
 
 (7) Record hours of horse and man labor necessary. 
 
 November 
 
 1. Completing" unfinished work. Any of the unfin- 
 ished work of selecting and storing seed corn or of 
 the preparation of the ground as described for October 
 may be finished in November. The seed corn should 
 be stored in the racks prepared, out of reach of rats 
 and mice, in a dry room where dampness or freezing 
 will not occur. 
 
 2. Practice in judging corn. Full directions for 
 scoring and judging corn are given under the labora- 
 tory exercises listed for this project. 
 
 3. Preparation of club exhibits. Details for corn 
 exhibits are given in the later discussions of the proj- 
 ect. The class should arrange a corn exhibit in the 
 schoolroom, even though the corn for this first year 
 of the project was not grown by the pupils. For the 
 second year of the project pupils should exhibit their 
 own corn. 
 
 December and January 
 
 1, Class work suggestions. No practical work di- 
 rectly relating to the project is necessary these months. 
 Have recitation work based on a study of the market 
 prices and causes of variation; systems of permanent 
 soil fertility; crop rotation; and the place of corn in 
 systems of grain and livestock farming. Consult daily 
 market quotations and record prices of corn in a table 
 prepared in the notebook. 
 
 2. Class reports. Class recitations and study should 
 
CORN PROJECT CALENDAR 17 
 
 be- given to the subject-matter given under the discus- 
 sions of this project. Consult farm papers, bulletins, 
 and reference texts for class reports on corn growing 
 and related problems, such as soil, weeds, insects, feed- 
 ing values, and uses of corn. 
 
 3. Laboratory work. Laboratory exercises given 
 for this project, relating to the above studies, may be 
 done these months. 
 
 February 
 
 1. Again to the land. We may now begin to turn 
 our attention more specifically to the plot and the next 
 steps in the production of the acre of corn which has 
 been planned since last September. 
 
 2. Signboards. One of the things each member of 
 the class or club should do is to make and letter a sign- 
 board to mark the plot upon which the project is to be 
 carried out. The signboard should be 12"xl8", planed 
 on one side. It should bear the name of the local or 
 county club preceded by the word "Member," as — 
 
 Member 
 
 Lincoln County 
 
 Corn Club 
 
 The lettering may be done by means of a stencil cut 
 from cardboard. The letters may be cut from adver- 
 tisements or made by some member of the class. These 
 are then laid on the cardboard, their outlines drawn 
 with a pencil and the letters cut out. 
 
 3. Testing and grading seed corn. A rectangular 
 box seed corn tester and as many other kinds of testers 
 as possibly can be secured should be available for this 
 
18 
 
 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 work. Send to your State College of Agriculture for 
 circulars of instruction on testing seed corn. Test for 
 germination at least fifty high scoring ears of corn 
 selected and stored last fall in order to discover the 
 twelve or fifteen having the most vigorous vitality to 
 be used for planting your acre. Record the results of 
 your testing in the notebook. — (1) When tested. (2) 
 How tested. (3) Per cent of good germination. 
 
 A Seed Tester 
 
 March and April 
 
 1. Preparation of seed bed. If the ground has not 
 been plowed last fall, the first preparation in the spring 
 would be the breaking of the ground. Disking and 
 deep plowing would be in order. If the ground has 
 been broken last fall the plot should be disked and 
 thoroughly harrowed in the spring. A firm, deeply 
 plowed sub-surface, with a well-pulverized surface soil 
 provides an ideal seed bed. Record all operations in 
 the notebook. 
 
 (1) Was the ground plowed in the fall or spring? 
 Why? 
 
 (2) How was your seed bed prepared? 
 
 (3) Record hours of man and horse labor used. 
 
CORN PROJECT CALENDAR 19 
 
 2. Corn implements. Make a study of the plows, 
 disks, and harrows used in these operations. Record in 
 your notes as follows: 
 
 Implements Used The Make Degree of Success 
 
 Plow 
 
 Disk 
 
 Harrow . . a 
 
 May 
 
 1. Corn planting'. Corn may be planted from the 
 first to the middle of May, or even later. From one 
 and one-half to three inches is the depth to plant corn, 
 depending on the character of the soil. 
 
 If the acre used in this project is a part of a larger 
 field, the corn may be planted by the planter along 
 with the rest of the field. If the acre is apart from 
 other plantings the seed may be drilled or even dropped 
 by hand. 
 
 2. Notebook suggestions. Record in the notebook 
 as follows: 
 
 (a) When planted. 
 
 (b) Method used. 
 
 (c) Distance apart of rows and corn in rows. 
 
 (d) Amount of seed used. 
 
 (e) Record hours of man and horse labor used. 
 
 3. Book study. Study various corn planters and 
 drills. Write a paragraph in your notebook on the ad- 
 vantages and disadvantages of each method of planting. 
 
 June and July 
 
 1. Cultivation. Weeds are kept out and the shal- 
 low soil mulch maintained in proper cultivation. Early 
 rolling and harrowing before or soon after the corn 
 
20 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 comes up is a good practice, facilitating the early con- 
 trol of the weeds. 
 
 The soil should be cultivated as often as is necessary 
 to maintain a loose, shallow soil mulch and keep down 
 the weeds. Never allow the surface to become baked 
 and hard. It should be cultivated as soon after a rain 
 as it is dry enough to work. Care should be taken not 
 to cultivate too deep. If the roots of corn are injured, 
 the yield is reduced. 
 
 2. Notebook suggestions. Record in the notebook 
 diary as follows: 
 
 (a) Was your stand good, medium or poor? 
 
 (b) What and when was your first cultivation? 
 
 (c) Was cultivation deep or shallow? 
 
 (d) What implement was used? 
 
 (e) How many times did you cultivate? 
 
 (f ) Record hours of man and horse labor used. 
 
 3. Insect injuries. Observe and note the insects in- 
 juring the corn : 
 
 (a) Name of insect, 
 
 (b) Nature of the injury. 
 
 4. Weeds. List the weeds that were troublesome. 
 
 5. Other injury. Was your corn damaged by any 
 other causes? 
 
 6. Book study. Read and study bulletins, books 
 and farm papers relating to corn production. 
 
 July and August 
 
 1. Cultivation. Continue cultivation to keep down 
 weeds and maintain the soil mulch. 
 
 2. Summer observations. If the teacher or club 
 leader is helping during the summer, frequent trips to 
 the plot should be made by the pupil and leader to 
 observe and discuss : 
 
CORN PROJECT CALENDAR 21 
 
 (a) Pollination and fertilization. 
 
 (b) Insect and fungous injury. 
 
 (c) Corn stand. 
 
 (d) Probable causes of success or failure in good 
 corn growth. 
 
 Notebook records of these observations should be 
 made. The teacher or club leader should assist the 
 pupil in completing in a full, neat and satisfactory 
 way all the records and accounts connected with this 
 project. 
 
 3. Club picnic. A club picnic should be the closing 
 feature of the year's work. 
 
 4. Conclusion. The concluding work in the note- 
 book should be a story by the pupil on, "My Acre of 
 Corn." 
 
PART TWO 
 
 PRACTICAL EXERCISES 
 
 I. Study of the Corn Plant 
 
 Object. This exercise is to enable the pupil to be- 
 come familiar with the parts of the corn plant and 
 their functions. 
 
 Directions. Visit a corn field and let each pupil 
 study the roots, stalk, leaves, tassels, and ears of the 
 corn. Observations should be recorded in the project 
 notebook, using the following outline : 
 
 A. Roots 
 
 1. Direction of growth. 
 
 2. Relation between moisture in ground and 
 
 nearness of roots to the surface. 
 
 3. Effect of deep cultivation. 
 
 4. Position and function of brace roots. 
 
 5. Show by a drawing the development of the 
 
 corn roots. 
 
 B. Stem 
 
 1. Division of stem into parts. 
 
 2. Position and function of groove on side of 
 
 stalk. Study position of leaves in this con- 
 nection. Examine ground around the stalk 
 after a shower, if possible. 
 
 3. Note height and vigor of stalk. 
 
 4. Make a drawing of the stalk. 
 
 22 
 
PRACTICAL EXERCISES 23 
 
 C. Leaves 
 
 1. Position and arrangement of leaves. 
 
 2. Note wavy edge of leaf. This enables leaf to 
 
 curl up. When does this occur? Of what 
 use is it to the corn plant ? 
 
 3. Trace the path of the rain water which falls 
 
 on the leaves. 
 
 4. Show by a drawing the arrangement of the 
 
 veins of a corn leaf. 
 
 D. Tassels 
 
 1. Note the position. At one time probably the 
 
 silks and tassels were together. Of what 
 advantage to the corn plant is the present 
 position? 
 
 2. Note the small sacs containing pollen. Make 
 
 a drawing of one. 
 
 E. Ears 
 
 1. Note position of ear on stalk, whether high, 
 
 medium, or low. 
 
 2. Note angle it makes with stalk. 
 
 3. Are husks close or loose-fitting? 
 
 4. Number and quality of ears on stalk. 
 
 II. A Good Stalk from Which To Select Seed 
 
 Object. To bring out the points which should be 
 considered in connection with the field selection of 
 seed corn. 
 
 Directions. Make a study of ten or twelve stalks 
 of checked corn or ten feet of drilled corn, noting the 
 following characteristics of each stalk and its ears. 
 This information is to be recorded in a table as follows : 
 
24 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 Hills or Stalks 
 Character 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 
 
 1. No. of stalks in hill 
 
 2. No. of stalks bearing ears 
 
 3. Size and vigor of stalks 
 
 bearing ears 
 
 4. Height of ears 
 
 5. Ears, drooping or erect 
 
 6. Shanks, long or short 
 
 7. Ears, good shape, well de- 
 
 veloped 
 
 Indicate those ears which would be suitable for seed 
 and state your reasons for the selection. 
 
 III. Study of an Ear of Corn 
 
 Object. To learn the characteristics of a good ear 
 of corn. 
 
 Directions. Each pupil should be supplied with an 
 ear of corn and should rule up and fill out the follow- 
 ing table in his project notebook : 
 
 1. Name of variety 
 
 2. Color of grain Cob 
 
 3. Surface, dent or flint 
 
 4. Rows of kernels: 
 
 a. Number 
 
 b. Straight or twisted 
 
 c. Close together or wide apart 
 
 d. Rows missing 
 
 5. Kernels, firm or loose 
 
 6. Shape of ear, tapering or cylindrical 
 
 7. Butt of ear, even, shallow or deep 
 
 8. Tip, exposed or covered 
 
 9. Kernel shape (describe shape of majority of kernels) 
 
 10. a. Length of ear 
 
 b. Circumference of ear, 
 
 Discuss in class the requirements of a good ear and 
 see how near this ear approaches the ideal. 
 
PRACTICAL EXERCISES 25 
 
 IV. Study of the Corn Kernel 
 
 Object. To identify the parts of the corn kernel. 
 
 Directions. Soak some grains of corn in hot water 
 for twenty minutes. Remove the tip cap, a small cap 
 covering the end of the kernel. Begin where the tip 
 cap has been broken and remove the hull in strips. 
 The part immediately under the hull, covering almost 
 all of the kernel is called the horny gluten. Carefully 
 shave it off with a sharp knife. Now carefully remove 
 the germ. Notice the size, position, and parts of the 
 germ. The remainder of the kernel is starch, of which 
 there are tAvo kinds, the horny and the white starch. 
 The horny starch lies on the back and sides of the 
 kernel. The white starch occupies the crown end, 
 above the germ. Make an enlarged drawing of the 
 kernel in your notebook, showing and naming these 
 parts. 
 
 V. Preliminary Study to Corn Scoring 
 
 Object. To become familiar with the points of a 
 score card. 
 
 Directions. Each student should have an ear of 
 corn, and tabulate in his notebook his observations on 
 the ear, as follows : 
 
 Ideal Good Fair Poor 
 
 Shape of ear .> 
 
 Length of ear 
 
 Circumference of ear 
 
 Tip of ear 
 
 Butt of ear 
 
 Kernel uniformity 
 
 Kernel shape 
 
 Color in grain and cob 
 
 Space between kernels at cob 
 
26 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 Space between rows 
 
 Vitality or seed condition .... 
 
 Trueness to type 
 
 Proportion of shelled corn to 
 cob 
 
 Indicate with cross (X) opposite each point the 
 column in which you would place the point. Several 
 ears may be used for practice, and the exercise 
 repeated. 
 
 VI. Scoring Practice 
 
 Object. To become proficient in scoring corn. 
 
 Directions. Provide each pupil with ten ears of 
 corn and let him practice scoring, using the score card 
 of your state. Each pupil should score a half dozen or 
 more ten-ear samples before this exercise is passed by. 
 
 VII. Study of the Stand 
 
 Object. To determine the per cent of stand. 
 
 Directions. Rule off a five inch square in your note- 
 book and divide it into twenty-five, one-inch squares. 
 Let each square represent a hill of corn. Mark off a 
 square of twenty-five hills of corn in your plot. 
 Record in the notebook in the proper square the number 
 of stalks of corn with ears, and the number of barren 
 stalks. How many stalks in this area? Using this as 
 a basis, determine the number of stalks in the plot. 
 Knowing the number of grains planted per hill, esti- 
 mate the number planted per acre. What per cent is 
 the number of stalks of the number of grains? This 
 number represents the per cent of stand. 
 
PRACTICAL EXERCISES 27 
 
 VIII. Seed Corn Racks 
 
 Object. To construct a seed corn rack. 
 
 Directions. Construct a seed corn rack according 
 to your own ideas. Directions for the use of binder- 
 twine and for making a simple rack follow: 
 
 Cut a piece of binding twine 12 feet long; tie the 
 ends together thus forming a loop. Place one end of 
 the loop over the right and the other over the left 
 hand, holding the hands about 2 feet apart and at 
 such height that the middle of the strands just touches 
 the floor. Place an ear of corn in the swing thus 
 made, with the strands 4 or 5 inches apart under the 
 ear. 
 
 When the first ear is in place, bring the left hand, 
 with its strand, through the strings held in the right 
 hand and on under to the elbow of the right arm, thus 
 crossing the strings over the first ear. Then place the 
 second ear in the crossed strings over the first ear; 
 withdraw the left hand; the strings will then be 
 crossed again ready for the third ear. Repeat this 
 operation until the end of the string is reached ; then 
 loop the shorter part of the unused string over the longer 
 one, leaving a loop by which to hang the string of corn. 
 Let the pupils prepare a few strings of corn to hang in 
 the school room for Corn Day. 
 
 Another rack can be made of strips of lath as 
 follows : 
 
 Get a bundle of plastering lath, and two boards 
 about 4 feet long and 5 inches wide. Nail the lath 
 strips opposite each other on the board, about 3 inches 
 apart, so that when all are nailed on, the whole affair 
 will stand, supported by the boards as end pieces. The 
 corn is then laid across from one lath to the other, thus 
 
28 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 securing free circulation of air about the ears, and 
 allowing them to be easily handled. 
 
 IX. Seed Corn Testers 
 
 Object. To test seed corn. 
 
 Directions. Make a rag doll or box tester. The fol- 
 lowing suggestions are offered : 
 
 Rag Doll. A piece of muslin, 8 inches wide and 4 
 feet long, will make a tester for thirty ears of corn. 
 Using a blue or black pencil, not indelible, draw a line 
 down the middle and other lines across, making thirty 
 2 1 /2-inch squares. These are numbered and thirty ears 
 to be tested are numbered accordingly. This may be 
 done by means of bits of cardboard fastened to the 
 butts of the ears with pins. 
 
 Six kernels taken from different parts of an ear are 
 placed germ side up, in the square with a number cor- 
 responding. When all of the squares are full, a 
 cylinder made by wiring together the opposite ends of 
 an 8-inch square of wire screening, is placed at one 
 end and the tester rolled up on it. String is tied at 
 each end to keep the kernels in place. The rag doll 
 is then immersed in warm water for eight to ten hours. 
 It may then be removed, stood in a pan of water in 
 which the water does not reach to the kernels and 
 kept at a temperature of 50° to 70° P. This provides 
 moisture and a circulation of the air. 
 
 Box Tester. A box of such dimensions as to accom- 
 modate the number of ears to be tested may be filled 
 with sand, soil or moist sawdust. Where sand or soil 
 is used, the squares are marked off on it. If sawdust 
 is used a cloth with squares marked off on it must be 
 placed over the sawdust and another cloth and more 
 
PRACTICAL EXERCISES 29 
 
 moist sawdust over the cloth containing the grains. 
 A glass sash over a large box will assist in retaining 
 the moisture. An ordinary chalk box can be used to 
 test eight ears. 
 
 Where sand is used and the box covered with glass, 
 the grains may be lightly pressed into the soil, germ 
 side up and the progress of the test determined from 
 day to day without disturbing the grains. 
 
 In either case, the grains are examined at the end of 
 ten days and those ears whose six grains have not all 
 sprouted vigorously are discarded for seed purposes. 
 
 X. Shrinkage in Corn 
 
 Object. To demonstrate the shrinkage of corn. 
 
 Directions. Procure ten ears of corn from the field. 
 Husk and weigh them. Record the weight and place 
 them in a dry, safe place. At the same time weigh ten 
 ears of corn from last year's crop. Keep these also. 
 Weigh at intervals of two weeks. Is there a change 
 in the weight of the new corn? Of the old corn? 
 Determine the loss of weight and the percentage of 
 loss. This is the shrinkage. 
 
PART THREE 
 
 CORN, THE GREAT AMERICAN CEREAL 
 
 "The rose may bloom for England, 
 
 The lily for France unfold; 
 Ireland may honor the shamrock, 
 
 Scotland the thistle bold; 
 But the shield of the great Republic 
 
 The glory of the West, 
 Shall bear a stalk of tasseled corn, 
 
 Of all our wealth the best. 
 
 "The arbutus and the golden rod 
 
 The heart of the North may cheer, 
 And the mountain laurel for Maryland 
 
 Its royal clusters may rear, 
 And the jasmine and magnolia 
 
 The crest of the South adorn, 
 
 But the wide Republic's emblem 
 
 Is the bounteous golden corn." 
 
 — Edna Procter. 
 
 I. History and Importance 
 
 Indian corn. No one knows all the history of Indian 
 corn, whose special name is given as maize. The name 
 itself contains a bit of history. Columbus found a 
 strange plant on the island of Hayti, which the natives 
 called "mahiz," and from this we have the name 
 maize. 
 
 The early explorers of America found the new corn 
 in the temperate regions of both Americas. We are 
 particularly interested in the history of corn after the 
 
 30 
 
CORN, THE GREAT AMERICAN CEREAL 31 
 
 discovery of America, because of its importance as a 
 food crop to the early colonists. John Fiske, in his 
 history of the discovery of America, declares that 
 Indian corn was of "incalculable advantage to the 
 English settlers of New England, who would have 
 found it much harder to gain a secure foothold upon 
 the soil if they had had to begin by preparing it for 
 wheat and rye without the aid of the beautiful and 
 beneficent American plant." 
 
 Importance of the corn crop. It is not easy to 
 appreciate the importance of corn in the agriculture 
 of the United States. Most people are aware of the 
 fact that corn is our principal grain crop. Many do 
 not know how important it is in comparison with other 
 grain crops. The following table compiled from the 
 estimates of the Bureau of Statistics of the United 
 States Department of Agriculture, will furnish a basis 
 for some interesting and instructive comparisons of 
 the relative importance of a number of the crops for 
 the year 1910 : 
 
 Production, Value, 
 
 Crop Acreage Bushels Dec. 1 
 
 Wheat 49,205,000 695,443,000$ 621,443,000 
 
 Oats 35,288,000 1,126,765,000 384,716,000 
 
 Barley 7,257,000 162,227,000 93,785,000 
 
 Rye 2,028,000 33,039,000 23,840,000 
 
 Rice 722,800 24,510,000 16,624,000 
 
 Buckwheat 826,000 17,239,000 11,321,000 
 
 Potatoes 3,591,000 338,811,000 187,985,000 
 
 Total 98,917,800 2,398,039,000 $1,339,714,000 
 
 Corn 114,002,000 3,125,713,000 $1,523,968,000 
 
 Thus it appears that, in acreage, production, and 
 value on December 1, the corn crop of 1910 was greater 
 than all of the other cereal grains plus the buckwheat 
 and potatoes. 
 
32 
 
 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 II. Types of Corn 
 
 Dent and flint. In speaking of the several types 
 and varieties of corn, most of us use the terms rather 
 loosely. Shoesmith in his ''Study of Corn" describes 
 six types : The dent, the flint, soft corn, pod corn, 
 sweet com, and pop corn)* The types with which 
 farmers of the corn belt have most to do are the dent 
 and the flint corn. There are many varieties of both 
 dent and flint types. The difference in appearance of 
 the several types of corn is due in part to differences 
 in structure and in part to differences in composition. 
 In the dent type the soft endosperm appears white and 
 starchy at the center and near the crown of the kernel. 
 As the grain ripens this soft endosperm shrinks more 
 
 3. Seven Varieties of Corn 
 
 rapidly than the horny endosperm which is located 
 chiefly at the edges of the kernel, and the result is the 
 folded or wrinkled appearance of the tops of the grains 
 of dent corn. In the flint corn, the soft endosperm in 
 
 *A new type, the branch corn, has been developed but as yet 
 has no commercial significance. 
 
CORN, THE GREAT AMERICAN CEREAL 33 
 
 the center of the grain is surrounded by the horny 
 endosperm, so that the ripening grain shrinks almost 
 uniformly, leaving a smooth shining surface. 
 
 Varieties. Some standard varieties in the corn belt 
 are : Boone County White, Funk 's Yellow Dent, Learn- 
 ing, Minnesota " No. 13, Reid's Yellow Dent, Silver 
 Mine, Silver King (Wisconsin No. 7), and Johnson 
 County White. Descriptions of these and other varie- 
 ties are fully given in Shoesmith's "Study of Corn," 
 and Bowman and Crossley's "Corn." 
 
 III. Life History of the Corn Plant 
 
 The life cycle. Every living 'thing has a life history 
 — a beginning, a growing, possibly a reproduction, and 
 a death. So it is with the corn plant. We may begin 
 at any place in a cycle, but in the case of corn we shall 
 begin with the seed. The young corn plant is already 
 well started in the seed. It has a stem and leaf-end, 
 embedded in a cotyledon containing food for the young 
 plant as soon as conditions are right for it to continue 
 its growth. We make these conditions right when we 
 plant the kernel of corn in the soil. Here the moisture, 
 warmth, and air cause the young plant in the cotyledon 
 to begin to grow. This growth consists in putting out 
 roots into the soil, pushing up a roll of leaves into the 
 light and air, and using up the food in the kernel. 
 
 When the roots are established in the soil and the 
 leaves are unfolded in the air, then the plant begins to 
 feed upon the mineral food elements in solution in the 
 soil and the carbon dioxide gas of the air, and to com- 
 bine these food elements into compounds to be assimi- 
 lated by the growing roots, stems, leaves, flowers and 
 grain during the summer. At the tip of the corn stalk 
 
34 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 the tassel containing millions of pollen spores develops, 
 and on the side of the stalk the ear develops, each ker- 
 nel of which sends out a long hollow silk thread to the 
 end of the husks, where they appear in a beautiful yel- 
 low mass. The pollen must fall upon the silk, one spore 
 upon the end of each silk, in which it grows a long tube 
 reaching down the silk to the corn kernel at the cob. 
 This fertilizes or gives life to the seed and the young corn 
 plant begins to grow in the kernel and continues to grow 
 until the kernel is matured. The old corn plant then dies 
 and all that is left alive is the germs or new corn plants 
 embedded in each kernel of the ripened ear of corn, 
 ready to germinate and continue the life history another 
 year as described above. 
 
 IV. The Corn Plant 
 
 Corn, a grass. All of the cereal grains except buck- 
 wheat belong to the family of grasses. Corn is a very 
 wonderful grass. Until the tenth of May, or some 
 time later, the corn plant is snugly folded within the 
 kernel. From seven to fourteen days after the kernel 
 is planted the young shoot pushes its tip out of the 
 ground, and begins to be a real plant — a growing thing 
 with roots in the ground and green leaves spreading 
 out in the air. In another hundred days, or even less, 
 the corn may be in the shock. What has happened 
 meanwhile 1 
 
 Corn roots. First, the corn plant had to develop and 
 extend its root system deep and wide in the ground. 
 It has been shown that in thirty days after planting 
 the roots of corn plants in adjacent rows meet and 
 interlace. They fill the whole surface of the corn field 
 with a network of roots, and in many cases these roots 
 
CORN, THE GREAT AMERICAN CEREAL 35 
 
 extend several feet downward. While the roots are 
 reaching everywhere in the surface soil, the stalks are 
 reaching upward and spreading out their broad blades 
 to the sun and air. A corn stalk in the growing season 
 contains a large amount of water. The water drawn 
 from the soil by the roots is mixed and combined with 
 the carbon taken in from the air by the leaves, making 
 plant food out of raw elements of earth and air for the 
 growth of the plant. 
 
 Leaves and blossoms. The corn plant does more 
 than grow tall and strong. It prepares for storms by 
 its system of brace-roots. It hangs its broad leaves 
 in such a way that the wind may bend them and toss 
 them with little danger of breaking them; the leaves 
 are many, broad and long in order to give the corn 
 plant enough feeding surface exposed to the sun and 
 air. The corn plant has a wonderful contrivance for 
 producing its fruit, as explained in a former para- 
 graph. Silk and tassel are the flowers of the corn 
 plant. Every future grain on the ear is at the lower 
 end of a long thread of silk; but the grain can not 
 develop until a particle of pollen from some tassel 
 falls upon its tip and grows down the silk to fertilize 
 the seed. 
 
 During its short growing season the corn plant may 
 grow to a height of from six to fifteen feet and produce 
 an ear or more of corn. A good ear of corn may con- 
 tain a thousand or more kernels. 
 
 V. Place of Corn in Crop Rotation 
 
 Reasons for rotation. At the basis of all successful 
 farming is an intelligent practice of crop rotation. 
 Early in our study of corn, therefore, it is well to 
 learn its place in systems of crop rotation. 
 
36 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 A few of the special reasons for the rotation of 
 crops are as follows : 
 
 1. Different crops make different demands on the 
 soil. The grain crops are able to use a large part of 
 the available phosphorus and potassium of the soil, 
 but less of its nitrogen; therefore it is well to follow 
 the grains with crops which use nitrogen more effect- 
 ively without making such great demands upon the 
 phosphorus and potassium supply. 
 
 2. Koot systems differ. The small grains are shal- 
 low-rooted, and so use the fertility from the surface 
 portion of the soil. Other crops, such as clover and 
 alfalfa send their roots deep into the soil, and so secure 
 plant food that is out of reach of such crops as wheat 
 and oats. Besides, clover, alfalfa, and other legumi- 
 nous crops when plowed under, leave the soil richer in 
 nitrogen than they find it, thus making it ready for 
 crops of a different character. 
 
 3. The culture of one crop prepares for a succeed- 
 ing crop of a particular kind. It is common in the 
 wheat sections to follow corn with wheat because sum- 
 mer cultivation of corn makes it possible to sow the 
 wheat without plowing. Besides, the well-tilled corn 
 ground enables the wheat to get a good start in the 
 fall, and to make use of a considerable part of the 
 plant food made available by weathering during the 
 fall, winter, and spring. 
 
 4. The farmer who has a well-planned system of 
 rotation is able to make better and more continuous 
 use of his own time and of the labor of his men and 
 teams. 
 
 Corn in systems of rotation. Rotation of crops will 
 not in any sense add to the fertility of the soil, unless 
 in the rotation a legume crop be returned to the soil. 
 
CORN, THE GREAT AMERICAN CEREAL 37 
 
 In this way only nitrogen is added. In connection 
 with the following rotations, discussion will be made 
 later as to the place of mineral plant foods in keeping 
 up soil fertility. 
 
 For a system of crop rotation in grain farming, the 
 following scheme is advised: 
 
 (1) "Wheat, (2) corn, (3) oats, (4) clover, and (5) 
 one-fifth the land in alfalfa, to be turned into the rota- 
 tion after five years and another one-fifth seeded to 
 alfalfa. Sell all grains, seed, and alfalfa hay, and 
 return the rest to the soil, using limestone and rock 
 phosphate. 
 
 For a system of rotation in live-stock farming, the 
 following is recommended: 
 
 (1) Corn, (2) corn, (3) oats, (4) clover, and (5) 
 alfalfa as before. Feed all the crops and return the 
 manure to the soil, using limestone and rock phosphate. 
 
 VI. Fertilizing Corn Ground 
 
 Corn not a poor land crop. It needs to be repeated 
 again and again that corn can not be profitably raised 
 on poor land. It costs as much to plow and otherwise 
 prepare poor land for a crop of corn as it does to pre- 
 pare good land; the subsequent cultivation is just as 
 expensive, and every step in the progress of raising a 
 poor crop from poor land is practically as costly as 
 every similar step in producing a good crop from good 
 land. Year after year some men raise corn on land so 
 poor that, with the best cultivation, only a small crop 
 can be raised and this always without profit. Why 
 not bring the land up to the condition which will make 
 it permanently profitable? 
 
 Soil upon which corn is to be grown often responds 
 
38 * CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 with increased yields through crop rotation, the grow- 
 ing of clover, even though it be removed, and the use 
 of complete commercial fertilizers, but these methods 
 do not provide for permanent soil fertility, nor do they 
 always return a profit on the investment. 
 
 Permanent soil fertility. There is a difference be- 
 tween adding complete commercial fertilizer even 
 though increased crop yields result, and the mainte- 
 nance of permanent soil fertility at a lesser annual 
 yield. It is to be correctly inferred from the above 
 that the use of complete commercial fertilizers does 
 not maintain permanent soil fertility, and no one can 
 deny that we should keep a permanent if not an 
 increasing soil fertility. 
 
 How can this be done, is the practical question to 
 raise. How can we feed the corn and keep the soil 
 fertile ? To begin at the beginning, let us take a typi- 
 cal Middle West acre. The first requirement is that 
 the soil shall be well drained. The next is that it 
 shall have plenty of active organic matter, such as 
 crop residue, manures and clover in process of decay. 
 If clover or other legumes will not grow well to fur- 
 nish this organic matter, perhaps the soil is sour and 
 needs from two to five tons of ground limestone to the 
 acre. The next important requisite is the nitrogen 
 supply in the soil. This is best supplied by the clovers 
 which also furnish the organic matter. To get the 
 addition of nitrogen the clover must be plowed under. 
 The next requisite in most soils is the maintenance of 
 an adequate phosphorus supply. This is most eco- 
 nomically supplied by the use of from one to three 
 tons of fine-ground rock phosphate to the acre. This 
 must always be applied, however, to the clover which 
 i j to be turned under, or with manure or other organic 
 
CORN, THE GREAT AMERICAN CEREAL 
 
 39 
 
40 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 matter incorporated in the soil, for the decaying of 
 the organic matter sets free mild acids which help to 
 dissolve the phosphorus in the rock phosphate and 
 make it available for plant food. This decaying 
 organic matter also renders available the potassium 
 which in normal soils is present in sufficient quantities 
 to supply standard yields. This method of supplying 
 plant food to the soil in connection with good systems 
 of crop rotation not only increases the annual yields 
 of each crop in the rotation, but leaves the soil per- 
 manently richer in plant food, after the single appli- 
 cations described above have been made and the four or 
 five crops of the rotation have been produced. 
 
 Plan of soil treatment, the corn series. The follow- 
 ing is the general plan of .soil treatment for ten plots 
 in each of a series of five at the University of Illinois. 
 The figures show the yields of. corn in one season: 
 
 Plot No. Soil Treatment Corn Yield 
 
 1. None 60 
 
 2. Legume ( catch crops and crop residues ) 60 
 
 3. Manure 75 
 
 4. Legume, lime 65 
 
 5. Manure, lime 80 
 
 6. Legume, lime, phosphorus 87 
 
 7. Manure, lime, phosphorus 90 
 
 8. Legume, lime, phosphorus, potassium 90 
 
 9. Manure, lime, phosphorus, potassium 93 
 
 10. Legume (manure, lime, phosphorus, potas- 
 sium, X5 ) * 96 
 
 *Five times the amounts used in 9 were applied. 
 
 VII. Plowing for Corn 
 
 Time of plowing. The time of plowing for corn 
 will usually be determined by the convenience of the 
 farmer. It is pretty well established that the differ- 
 ences in yield on land plowed in the fall and similar 
 
CORN, THE GREAT AMERICAN CEREAL 41 
 
 land plowed early in the spring are very slight. Sticky 
 clay land should not be plowed when it is so wet as. 
 to slip off the moldboard in a shiny condition. Land 
 that is likely to waslj because of steep hillsides, or 
 other conditions, should be plowed late in the winter 
 rather than early, especially if it is protected by a 
 cover-crop. 
 
 Purpose of plowing. One purpose of plowing is to 
 enable the land to store water ; another is to enable it 
 to retain water. Fall plowing provides for the storage 
 of water in the soil ; spring plowing provides for its 
 retention. But this qualification needs to be added — 
 that spring plowing is likely to hasten the evaporation 
 of soil moisture unless the plow is almost immediately 
 followed by the harrow. Water escapes very rapidly 
 from the surface of a newly plowed field. Following 
 the plow with the harrow while the surface soil is 
 still fresh reduces the exposed surface and so retards 
 evaporation. It also retards the rise of the water from 
 the subsoil, thus retaining it where the plant roots will 
 need it during the growing season. Another purpose 
 of plowing is to open up and make available larger 
 feeding areas for the plant roots. 
 
 Depth of plowing. The depth of plowing for corn 
 will be determined largely by the depth of previous 
 plowings. It is not wise to turn a large amount of raw 
 subsoil up to the surface. Usually it is well to bring a 
 small amount of new soil under the direct influence of 
 sun and rain, thus preparing it to be useful to subse- 
 quent crops. It is to be remembered that it is the 
 mellowed soil that contributes most to the growth of 
 plants. Other influences have much to do with deter- 
 mining the proper depth of plowing for corn. If the 
 ground is plowed in the fall, it may be safe to plow an 
 
42 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 inch or more deeper than it would be wise to plow the 
 same ground in the spring. The frosts and freezes of 
 winter will do much to mellow and "tame" the soil 
 that has never been exposed to the more active weath- 
 ering influences. ' 
 
 If much organic matter is to be plowed under, that 
 should be done in the fall, in order to give it time to 
 decay before the spring crop is planted. 
 
 Preparation of seed bed. Broadly speaking, every- 
 thing done to the soil is a part of the work of pre- 
 paring the bed for the seed to be sown or planted. 
 Plowing and fertilizing the ground are steps inTRe 
 preparation of the seed bed, but we must be con- 
 cerned here with the immediate preparation of the soil 
 to receive the seed. The use of the harrow after the 
 land has been ploAved for corn is the simplest method 
 of preparing for planting. On land plowed in the fall 
 or early winter, it is advisable to go over the ground 
 once or twice with the disk or cutaway harrow, before 
 using the smoothing harrow; and in many cases the 
 roller or wooden drag may follow the other imple- 
 ments with profit. A modern implement known as the 
 "culti-packer" seems to make ideal seed bed prepara- 
 tion, since it both packs and mulches the soil. Finally, 
 after the corn has been planted, further preparation 
 of the soil for the growing corn may be made by going 
 over it once or twice with the smoothing harrow. A 
 seed bed in perfect condition to give the corn plants 
 the best kind of start is almost equivalent to a guar- 
 antee of a good crop. 
 
 VIII. Testing Seed Corn 
 
 Will the corn grow? The farmer plants corn in the 
 belief that it will grow. Why should not every kernel 
 
CORN, THE GREAT AMERICAN CEREAL 43 
 
 sprout and produce a good stalk to bear a good ear? 
 Perhaps it would if every condition is made right. The 
 kernel itself is the first essential ; it ought to be in per- 
 fect growing condition. The corn judge or the man 
 selecting seed from the crib can not make a germinat- 
 ing test, he must be guided by appearances. What are 
 some of the signs that corn will grow? 
 
 If the ear is firm in the hands, the kernels tight in 
 their places, and no evidence of decay seen at the butt, 
 it may be supposed that the corn is matured and well 
 developed. The kernels should be hard and dry and 
 without dullness of color; they should be of a fairly 
 large and regular size, with large and healthy germs, 
 and there should be no sign of mold. The tips of 
 vigorous kernels are never thin and shrunken. There 
 should be freedom from cracks and blisters, and tip 
 caps should completely cover the tips of the shelled 
 kernels. The cob should be dry, firm, and bright col- 
 ored. A damp moldy cob indicates weakness in the 
 germ, and it may mean that the germs are already 
 dead. 
 
 The germination test. The final proof that the corn 
 will grow is the germination test. The man who risks 
 a large share of his year's labor in his corn field ought 
 to be perfectly sure that his seed is good ; the actual 
 sprouting of a few grains from every ear will make 
 him perfectly sure. (See methods of testing, page 28.) 
 Results of test. If any ear of corn shows less than 
 perfect germination in every kernel taken, that ear 
 should be discarded. It is not safe to plant seed from 
 an ear that shows any weak or dead kernels. Per- 
 haps the simplest and most important lesson to get 
 from this study is that no one should plant corn that 
 is not known by actual and careful test to be in per- 
 
44 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 feet germinating condition. If seed corn has to be 
 bought, it should be bought in the ear so that the pur- 
 chaser may know what his corn is and may test it for 
 himself. 
 
 IX. Planting the Corn 
 
 Time to plant. Early planting is generally advised, 
 but corn is a warm weather plant. It will not ger- 
 minate until the soil has become warmer than is neces- 
 sary for the growth of peas, oats, and certain other 
 hardy plants. 
 
 Distance in planting. The distance between rows is 
 usually a matter of custom growing out of local experi- 
 ence. Forty-four inches is a common distance. If the 
 corn is planted with a check-row planter it may be 
 planted forty-four inches each way. When corn is 
 drilled, the distance between rows is sometimes three 
 feet and six inches. When planted in hills, and the 
 seed is good, three kernels to the hill will produce the 
 desired number of stalks. 
 
 Depth of planting. The depth of planting should 
 depend on the season and the kind of soil and its 
 condition. If the corn is planted early, while the soil 
 is comparatively cold, shallow planting is to be recom- 
 mended. When the soil has become warm and mel- 
 low, deeper planting may be safely done. It should 
 be remembered that corn kernels will not sprout un- 
 less they get sufficient moisture, and at the surface of 
 a dry soil there may not be enough moisture to cause 
 prompt germination. 
 
 X. Cultivating Corn 
 
 Purposes of tillage. Tillage breaks up the soil, mak- 
 ing possible the free movement of air and moisture. 
 
CORN, THE GREAT AMERICAN CEREAL 45 
 
 It mellows and pulverizes the soil, thus promoting the 
 processes that increase the availability of the plant- 
 food materials. It promotes the warming of the earth. 
 It destroys weeds. 
 
 First cultivation important. This first cultivation 
 of the corn may be done with a two-horse double- 
 shovel cultivator. Whatever implement is used should 
 be supplied with fenders to keep the young plants from 
 being covered or broken by the earth thrown against 
 
 them. 
 
 The importance of this first cultivation can hardly 
 be over-emphasized. It should not be done when the 
 ground is too wet ; it should not be put off until the 
 weeds begin to smother the corn plants. Many a corn 
 crop has been reduced in yield from a fourth to a half 
 by neglecting to use the right implement in the right 
 way at the right time. 
 
 Every man ought to be so familiar with his own soil 
 and its condition that he can judge the right time to 
 cultivate by looking at it, by walking over it, and by 
 feeling of it with his fingers. If the ground is too wet, 
 there is danger that serious harm will be done by the 
 cultivator ; if it is allowed to get too dry, there will be 
 great loss of moisture due to evaporation and the 
 growth of weeds. 
 
 Shallow cultivation. Much damage is done to corn 
 every year by too deep cultivation. By the time corn 
 is a foot high, it will not be possible to give it deep 
 cultivation without breaking off many of the roots. 
 This will give the corn a serious set-back. 
 
 With the plowing well done in fall or winter or 
 early spring; with thorough preparation of the seed 
 bed by the use of disk or cutaway and smoothing har- 
 row and roller or plank drag; with one fairly deep 
 
46 
 
 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 cultivation well and carefully 
 done, it is easy to do the work 
 that will ordinarily assure a 
 good crop of corn on fairly 
 rich land. The subsequent 
 cultivation should be shallow, 
 in fact some growers advocate 
 merely scraping the surface 
 of the ground to destroy 
 weeds and provide a soil 
 mulch. 
 
 The soil mulch. By the 
 use of the right kind of im- 
 plements and a knowledge of 
 the principles of tillage, the 
 farmer keeps the soil in 
 proper condition and pre- 
 vents the growth of weeds. If 
 a hard crust is formed on the 
 surface of the soil by the 
 dashing rains of summer, the 
 soil water rapidly comes to 
 the surface and is evaporated 
 by the sun and wind. The 
 farmer wants to have this 
 water escape from the soil 
 through the corn plants, giv- 
 ing up on the way the plant 
 food it has dissolved out of 
 the soil. He therefore breaks 
 up the crust of earth and 
 saves the moisture for the 
 corn crop. The moisture from the deeper soil gathers 
 below the mulch about the roots of the corn where it 
 
 5. An Ideal Ear 
 
CORN, THE GREAT AMERICAN CEREAL 47 
 
 can be utilized. If weeds are allowed to grow they will 
 be sure to get their share of this moisture, thus robbing 
 the corn. 
 
 XI. Maturing of Corn 
 
 Corn should mature. To be reasonably satisfactory 
 for general use, corn must also get ripe. We want the 
 corn to use the entire growing and ripening season; 
 but we do not want it to be of a kind that needs two 
 weeks more of growing weather than our climate can 
 furnish. We want corn that will mature. 
 
 Large ears and maturity. The common disposition 
 of farmers to select large ears has had a tendency to 
 produce a strain of corn requiring a long season — a 
 season longer than can be depended Upon year after 
 year; and so it often happens that, with a late spring 
 or an early fall, or both, a large share of the corn does 
 not get ripe. When cut before it matures, it is so 
 full of water that it can not dry out before freezing 
 weather. The result is that the frost kills or weakens 
 the germs of the unripe corn, making it unfit for seed. 
 Another effect of the imperfect ripening is seen in the 
 many cribs of moldy corn. Whenever there is a large 
 proportion of soft corn, there is great danger that 
 there will be heating and subsequent molding in the 
 crib. 
 
 Where to get seed. The fact needs frequent empha- 
 sis that it is not wise to bring seed corn from a dis- 
 tance. The corn plant has a tendency to adapt itself 
 to the length of the season; but this adaptation does 
 not come about in a single season. The best practice 
 is to plant home-grown seed from soil similar to the 
 soil in which it is to be planted. If good seed can not 
 
48 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 be had from near home, the grower will do well to 
 send for seed grown where the season is shorter rather 
 than longer than his own. 
 
 XII. Selecting Seed Corn in the Field 
 
 Value of good seed. The importance of selecting 
 good seed corn and taking good care of it cannot be 
 over-estimated. Experiments have shown that well- 
 bred and carefully selected seed corn, of a type suited 
 to the soil and climate where it is to be used, will 
 increase the yield from 10 to 50 per cent. Rich soil 
 and good culture are important factors in producing a 
 large crop of corn, but good seed will add considerably 
 to the yield. 
 
 Field selection. To get the best seed corn it should 
 be selected in the field after it has matured, and while 
 the character of the parent stalk can be seen. It is a 
 well-known law of life that "like begets like," and in 
 the case of corn, each kernel selected for seed will tend 
 to produce a stalk and ear like the one from which it 
 came. Now there are certain desirable characteris- 
 tics of the stalk of corn, which can not be seen except 
 by careful field selection. 
 
 There should be a large leaf growth. The stalk 
 should be strong and vigorous, medium size, strong at 
 the base with good brace roots and tapering gradually 
 to the tassel. It should stand up well and bear its ear 
 at a convenient height for husking. The shank of the 
 ear should be of medium length allowing the ear to 
 turn down slightly. A short shank holds the ear too 
 erect. Ears on long shanks or too high on the stalk 
 are more likely to pull down the stalk in a wind storm, 
 besides being inconvenient to husk. The ears selected 
 
CORN, THE GREAT AMERICAN CEREAL 49 
 
50 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 should be well developed, with straight rows, and 
 kernels of "uniform size. Ears should be selected and 
 husked before the early frost injures them for seed. 
 Expert plant breeders have selected seed corn for 
 various characteristics and raised up new and dif- 
 ferent strains from the same seed. This shows that 
 it is possible to select seed and thus improve the 
 strain from the old stock. 
 
 XIII. Judging and Scoring Corn 
 
 Corn judging. The object of corn judging is to 
 determine the corn of highest quality, either for 
 feeding or market, which is consequently most profit- 
 able to grow. The study of the desirable char- 
 acteristics of seed corn has led to the formation of a 
 standard scale of points or "corn score card." By 
 the use of the score card, the judge or student can 
 keep in mind the relative merits of the points in a 
 sample of corn, and compare the ears he is judging 
 with the ideal standard. 
 
 In selecting corn for seed or for exhibition, probably 
 the best method is to place the ears from a bushel of 
 selected corn upon a table with the butts of the ears 
 toward you. Select the most nearly perfect ear you 
 can find, one which comes the nearest to the ideal 
 type. Then select other ones resembling the first one — 
 ten in all. 
 
 The score card. The score card is a device to help 
 the judge or student to make intelligent comparisons 
 of sample ears with the ideal type. The characteristics 
 of the ear are listed and the perfect grade for each is 
 given. The student must judge how nearly the sam- 
 ple being scored compares to the perfect grade under 
 
CORN, THE GREAT AMERICAN CEREAL 
 
 51 
 
 each point. In judging corn, ten ears usually consti- 
 tute an exhibit sample. It is desirable that samples 
 be laid out side by side on a table where a good light 
 may be had. 
 
 Caution. For practical work in corn scoring the 
 teacher should provide score cards used and recom- 
 mended by the Agricultural College of the state in 
 which the work is being done. It is not advisable to 
 give more attention and study to scoring corn than to 
 its production. It is yield we want, rather than fancy 
 ears, and this characteristic is often inherent in ears 
 of indifferent appearance. 
 
 
 n m 
 
 Corn Rack 
 
 XIV. Storing Seed Corn 
 
 Essentials of careful storing. The proper storing of 
 seed corn after selection is perhaps of equal importance 
 to the matter of selection. The ears should be taken 
 when mature on the stalk and hung or laid in dry, 
 well-ventilated places and kept perfectly dry and cool 
 
52 
 
 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 until planting time the next season. It must be remem- 
 bered that the seed is a living thing and is injured by 
 freezing. 
 
 Value of careful storage. An Ohio Extension Bul- 
 letin reports as follows: " Samples of seed corn were 
 taken from over 100 different farms in all parts of the 
 state, and germination tests made of the corn to deter- 
 mine its vitality, careful record being kept, as far as 
 possible, of the method of storing and caring for seed 
 corn." 
 
 The following table will give the results as shown 
 by this preliminary work: 
 
 Range of Average 
 
 Germi- Germi- 
 
 Number nation, nation, Vigor of 
 
 Tested Per Cent Per Cent Plants 
 
 Taken from ordinary crib 40 55-100 85 Poor 
 
 Stored in good dry place with 
 plenty of air currents, but no 
 artificial heat, as on shelves 
 in cribs, above wagon sheds, 
 
 hung by wires, strings, etc.. 62 72-100 90.3 Good 
 Stored in attics, empty rooms 
 in houses, furnace rooms, etc. 
 Some artificial heat furnished 
 but not always a free circu- 
 lation of air 11 85-100 93.3 Good 
 
 It was also shown in these Ohio experiments that 
 seed corn from varieties that are well adapted to local 
 . climatic conditions, is less difficult to care for than from 
 large, late-maturing strains. 
 
 "A bushel of seed corn will plant seven acres which 
 at fifty bushels per acre should yield 350 bushels. It 
 will be seen, according to the figures shown, that one 
 bushel of the corn which had been well cared for, pro- 
 duces 5 per cent more stalks than the seed not properly 
 
CORN, THE GREAT AMERICAN CEREAL 53 
 
 stored. Not taking into consideration the difference 
 in the vigor of the plants, this would make a differ- 
 ence of seventeen and one-half bushels in favor of the 
 bushel of seed that had been carefully handled.' ' 
 
 Methods of storing seed corn. There are many meth- 
 ods of storing seed corn, but in all cases, the place of 
 storing must be dry and well ventilated. It should 
 never be put in boxes, barrels or sacks. The attic or 
 an empty room upstairs in the house, if it is not too 
 warm and close, is a good place for storing while the 
 corn is still moist. The barn and crib are suitable 
 places for storing, if there is time enough for the ears 
 to become thoroughly dry before freezing weather. If 
 thoroughly dry and surrounded by dry atmosphere, 
 seed corn will stand very cold weather. 
 
 No matter where stored, the ears should be either hung 
 up or placed on racks made of narrow strips with spaces 
 between and in all cases kept out of reach of rats, mice 
 and chickens. 
 
 XV. Some Insects Injurious to Corn 
 
 The corn root-louse. Corn attacked by this insect 
 becomes dwarfed, the leaves turn red and yellow, and 
 there is general lack of vigor. The root-louse is a 
 small insect, bluish-green in color, oval in form, with 
 two short slender tubes projecting from the back part 
 of the abdomen. Root-lice are nearly always accom- 
 panied by ants, and the farmer who sees the ants 
 about the roots of his corn, is likely to lay the blame 
 of his sickly crop to them rather than to the root-lice, 
 the real pests. The ants, however, are indirectly 
 responsible for the root-louse injury, as they care for 
 the eggs of the louse during the winter and bring the 
 
54 
 
 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 young lice to the roots of the young smart-weeds early 
 in the spring. 
 
 About the first of May the second generation of lice 
 appears, and the little brown ants transfer them to the 
 roots of the young corn plants. During the summer 
 the lice continue breeding with great rapidity, all the 
 while sucking the juice from the young roots of the 
 growing corn. About the middle of September the 
 last brood of females begin to lay eggs for the winter. 
 These females are usually carried by the ants to their 
 nests, Avhere the eggs are laid. 
 
 8. Root-Louse 
 
 Eotation of crops, proper fertilization of the soil, 
 deep fall plowing, or early spring plowing, followed 
 by repeated deep disking to destroy the ants' nests, 
 are some of the successful methods of combating the 
 corn root-louse. 
 
 The chinch bug. The great arch enemy of the corn 
 crop in many sections is the chinch bug. This insect 
 is about one-tenth of an inch long and does its 
 work of injury by sucking the juice from the 
 stalks of the growing corn, completely destroying 
 whole fields. The insect goes into winter quarters as 
 an adult bug, and there remains until the warm weather 
 of the next April or May. It is hidden away at 
 
CORN, THE GREAT AMERICAN CEREAL 55 
 
 the roots of various grasses, and in accumulations of 
 weeds, leaves and other rubbish. Many of them may be 
 destroyed, by burning such rubbish and grass. The 
 bugs that live through the winter come out in the 
 spring and spread over the country on the wing, 
 settling in fields of wheat, early oats, or other grasses, 
 and in these lay their eggs for the first generation of 
 the year. The young hatching from these eggs injure 
 the crop in which they find themselves. Later, at 
 wheat harvest time, being only partly grown, they 
 move out of infested wheat fields on foot into other 
 fields of grain, especially of corn, where if the season 
 favors them a second generation will be bred to the 
 enormous injury of the infested crops. 
 
 ft 
 9. Chinch Bug 
 
 The successful combating of chinch bugs is a com- 
 munity affair. Every farmer who has chinch bugs on 
 his place should clean up and burn all trash which 
 would harbor them during the winter. In the sum- 
 mer the farmers of the community should all cooperate 
 in throwing crude oil lines about their corn fields to 
 
56 CORX GROWING PROJECT 
 
 catch the bugs as they migrate from the wheat to the 
 corn. 
 
 The corn ear-worm. The corn ear-worm injures the 
 ears of corn and is a serious pest especially to sugar 
 corn. In the South this same insect is known as the 
 cotton boll-worm, from its habit of boring into the boll 
 of the cotton. 
 
 In our latitude the first broods of the moths appear 
 in May and deposit their eggs on corn or other food 
 plants. The second or third broods lay their eggs in 
 the silks or tassels of the corn. The young worms 
 hatch in three or four days and begin feeding upon 
 the silks of the corn. In a few days they get into the 
 tips of the young ears. Each worm may feed upon 
 several ears, and when full grown the worms leave 
 the ear and go into the ground where they make little 
 cells and in these transform to pupae. In about two 
 weeks the next brood of moths appears. There are two 
 or three broods in a year. 
 
 The pest is very difficult to combat. Since the pupae 
 of the last brood hibernate in the ground during the 
 winter, many of them may be killed by deep, late fall 
 plowing. The time of planting should be taken into 
 consideration ; since the moths prefer to lay their eggs 
 on the silks, the corn which is in silk when the moths 
 emerge from the ground will be most seriously injured. 
 Early planted corn is less liable to injury from this 
 source. 
 
 XVI. Corn Products 
 
 The stalk. Many new uses have lately arisen for 
 corn, in addition to the well known and standard pur- 
 poses this cereal has long served. Pith from corn 
 stalks has lately been utilized as a packing for battle- 
 
CORN, THE GREAT AMERICAN CEREAL 57 
 
 ships. The production of cellulose, high explosives, 
 varnishes, etc., are recent uses of pith, and in the 
 manufacture the outer shell and leaves of the stalk 
 are left as by-products. These are finely ground up 
 and put on the market as the "New Corn Product," 
 which is used as a stock food. The crude stalk has 
 the well-known uses as fodder, ensilage, etc., as stock 
 food. A cheap grade of paper can be made from the 
 pulp of the corn stalk. Denatured alcohol and various 
 food extracts are also being made from corn stalks. 
 
 10. Club Group 
 
 The corn kernel. Besides the common uses of the 
 kernel as food for man and beast, there are about 
 thirty products made from it: Six kinds of mixing 
 glucose, used by refiners of table syrups, brewers, leather 
 manufacturers, jelly makers, fruit preservers, and 
 apothecaries; four kinds of crystal glucose, used by 
 confectioners ; two kinds of grape sugar, used by brewers 
 and tanners; pearl starch, used by paper and cotton 
 
58 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 f acturers ; fluorine, used by flour mixers ; dextrine, used 
 by fine fabric, paper box, mucilage and glue manufac- 
 turers ; corn-oil, used by table oil mixers, lubricating oil 
 mixers, manufacturers of fibre, shade cloth, paint, and 
 similar industries where vegetable oils are employed; 
 corn-ail cakes, used for cattle feeding purposes; rubber 
 substitute, used in the place of crude rubber; corn 
 germs, from which oil and cake are made ; British gum, 
 a starch which makes a very adhesive medium; distilled 
 spirits, used in the manufacture of smokeless powder; 
 alcohol for commercial purposes; corn down^ the brown 
 outer coating next the cob, used in the manufacture of 
 mattresses. 
 
 The cob. Even the cobs, besides the emergency use 
 as corks, are utilized in the manufacture of pipes, and 
 as a fuel, in the great corn belt. The ashes of cobs are 
 easily convertible into a commercial potash. 
 
NOTEBOOK QUESTIONS 
 
 1. Why is corn sometimes called Indian corn or 
 maize ? 
 
 2. How does corn rank in acreage, production and 
 value with other farm crops of the United States? 
 
 3. The corn crop for the last five years in the 
 United States has been over 2,500,000,000 bushels a 
 year. How much is that for each person in the United 
 States? 
 
 4. How much corn was grown in your state last 
 year? What was the average yield per acre? (See the 
 Year Book of the Department of Agriculture, Wash- 
 ington, D. C. The school may obtain a copy through 
 the congressman of the district.) 
 
 5. What are the parts of a kernel of corn? 
 
 6. What are the conditions for the germination 
 of seed corn? 
 
 7. Where does the corn plant bear its blossoms ? 
 
 8. A plot of ground at the University of Illinois 
 has been in corn for thirty-five years. The yield is 
 now about twenty-five bushels per acre. What does 
 this show? 
 
 9. What do the farmers in your locality do to 
 fertilize their corn ground? 
 
 10. In a system of srop rotation, including corn, 
 oats, wheat and clover, a farmer desiring to establish 
 permanent soil improvement applies two tons of ground 
 limestone per acre to his clover field in the fall, and a 
 
 59 
 
60 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 ton of finely ground rock sulphate in the spring, 
 before turning under the clover for corn. The lime- 
 stone cost $1.50 per ton and the rock phosphate $7.50 
 per ton. His corn yield, as shown by check plots, was 
 five bushels more per acre the first season, and twenty- 
 five bushels more the fifth season; the oats increased 
 twenty-five bushels, the wheat fourteen bushels, and 
 the clover one ton per acre. Estimating the expense 
 of applying the limestone and rock phosphate at 50 
 cents per ton, what did he gain on the investment at 
 the prevailing prices of grain and hay? 
 . 11. A farmer turned under a heavy clover crop in 
 the spring of 1913 and planted the field to corn. The 
 corn germinated and grew well for a few weeks, then 
 dried up and died. Explain. 
 
 12. What is the purpose of the germinating test? 
 
 13. If an ear of. corn has- 800 kernels and each kernel 
 should be planted and grow, producing ears that weighed 
 12 ounces each, how much should that ear of corn be 
 worth, estimating its value from the yield at 50 cents 
 a bushel? 
 
 14. What is the meaning of the term "tillage"? 
 Name six values of tillage. 
 
 15. What should fre done at the first cultivation of 
 corn? Why is this cultivation so important? 
 
 16. Speak of the value of shallow cultivation as 
 compared to deep cultivation of corn. 
 
 17. What harm results from weeds in the corn? 
 
 18. Why is it best to use home-grown seed? 
 
 19. Name some characteristics of the parent plant 
 that are carried by the seed to the next generation. 
 
 20. Why is it best to select seed corn in the field? 
 When should this be done? 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 A Model Constitution for Boys' and Girls' Clubs 1 
 
 CONSTITUTION 
 
 Article I. The name of this organization shall be the 
 
 Club. 
 
 (School, township, county, etc.) 
 Article II. The object of this club is to increase the agricultural, 
 
 educational, and social advantages of 
 
 (Name of geographical unit) 
 through home projects, entertainments, lectures, fairs, ex- 
 hibits, etc. 
 
 Article III. All boys and girls living in 
 
 (Geographical unit) 
 between the ages of 10 and 18 years shall be eligible for 
 
 membership. 
 Article IV. Sec. 1. The officers of this club shall consist of a 
 
 president, a vice-president, a secretary, and a treasurer. 
 Sec. 2. A majority vote shall constitute an election. 
 Article V. Roberts' Rules of Order shall govern the meetings of 
 
 the club. 
 Article VI. The order of business for all regular meetings shall 
 
 be as follows: 
 
 1. Call to order. 
 
 2. Roll call. 
 
 3. Reading of minutes of last meeting. 
 
 4. Addition or corrections to the minutes. 
 
 5. Reports of committees. 
 
 6. Old business. 
 
 7. New business. 
 
 8. Considering new names for membership. 
 
 9. Literary program. 
 
 10. Recreation or refreshments. 
 
 11. Adjournment. 
 
 Article VII. Committees for special purposes may be appointed 
 by the president at any time. 
 
 1 Credit is due Mr. E. C. Lindemann, State Club Leader of 
 Michigan, for this material. 
 
 61 
 
62 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 BY-LAWS 
 
 Article I. The chib motto shall be "To make the BEST, 
 
 B E T T E R," and the club emblem shall be a four-leaf clover 
 
 bearing an H on each leaf. 
 Article II. The officers shall be elected by ballot at the annual 
 
 election in of each year. 
 
 (Month) 
 Article III. The regular meeting of the club shall take place at 
 
 on the 
 
 a .- , (Name of building) (Day of the month) 
 Article IV. Sec. 1. A quorum shall consist of 
 
 ... , .. . „ , , (Usually two-thirds) 
 
 of the membership of the club. 
 
 Sec. 2. This constitution may be amended by a vote of 
 
 of the members present at 
 
 (Two-thirds) 
 any regular meeting. 
 
 PARLIAMENTARY PRACTICE: HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS 
 
 a. Always address the president as Mr. or Miss President. 
 
 b. All remarks should be addressed to the president. 
 
 c. There should be no talking between members. 
 
 d. The president should recognize the person who seeks the 
 floor by saying: "Mr. or Miss " 
 
 . ... (Person's name) 
 
 e. I his indicates that the person thus recognized has the privi- 
 lege of speaking (of the floor) and must not be interrupted. 
 
 /. The only interruptions allowable are (1) a call for a point 
 of order, or (2) a question. 
 
 g. A point of order applies to a member who has made a 
 motion which is out of order because of another motion before 
 the meeting, or to a member whose remarks are not on the subject 
 under consideration, or to a person who is exceeding the time limit 
 for discussion, etc. A point of order is executed as follows: 
 
 Member rising while another is speaking: "Mr. President, I 
 rise to a point of order." 
 
 The president will then recognize the speaker as follows: 
 "^ ir , please state your point of order." 
 
 Member who has interrupted speaker: "Mr. President, the 
 
 speaker, Mr , is out of order because his 
 
 (Interrupted member's name) 
 remarks are not on the subject under consideration (or is out of 
 order because there is another motion before the meeting)." 
 
APPENDIX 63 
 
 President: "The chair decides that the point is (or is not) 
 well taken." 
 
 Whereupon the interrupted speaker takes his seat or makes 
 an appeal from the decision of the chair as follows: 
 
 Interrupted speaker: "Mr. President, I appeal from the deci- 
 sion of the chair." 
 
 President: "Mr appeals from the decision 
 
 of the chair. As many as are in favor of sustaining the decision 
 of the chair will make manifest by saying 'Aye;' contrary- 
 minded, 'No.'" 
 
 The motion is (or is not) carried. 
 
 If the motion is carried, and the decision of the chair is thus 
 sustained,, the interrupted speaker has no further recourse and 
 must take his seat. If, however, the motion is lost and the 
 decision of the chair is not sustained, the speaker may continue 
 to speak. 
 
 Question. The speaker may be interrupted by any member for 
 the purpose of asking a question. This question may be one of 
 personal privilege or may be for the purpose of gaining informa- 
 tion about the subject under discussion. The execution of ,this 
 motion may proceed as follows: 
 
 Member taking floor while another member is speaking: "Mr. 
 President, I rise to a question of information." 
 
 Presiding officer : "State your question." 
 
 Member: "Do I understand the speaker to mean that 
 
 etc.?" 
 
 The speaker then proceeds to give the information desired, and 
 the meeting proceeds. 
 
 In case of a question of personal privilege the process is as 
 follows: 
 
 Member, rising and interrupting speaker: "Mr. President, I 
 rise to a question of personal privilege." 
 
 Presiding officer: "State your question." 
 
 Member: "Mr. President, this room is too warm for comfort, 
 and I therefore ask to have the windows opened." 
 
 In either case the presiding officer may rule for or against the 
 person asking the question. 
 
 DUTIES OF OFFICERS 
 
 The President 
 
 1. Calls the meetings to order. 
 
 2. Announces the order of business. 
 
 3. Puts all questions and motions. 
 
64 CORN GROWING PROJECT 
 
 4. Decides points of order. 
 
 5. Decides the votes. 
 
 6. Calls another member to the chair if he or she wishes to 
 
 take part in the debate. 
 The Vice-President 
 
 1. Performs all the duties of the president in case he or she 
 is absent. 
 The Secretary 
 
 1. Keeps the minutes of all meetings. 
 
 2. Handles all correspondence. 
 
 3. Sends or posts notices for meetings. 
 
 4. Reads the minutes of the previous meetings. 
 
 5. Acts as chairman in case both president and vice-president 
 
 are absent. 
 The Treasurer 
 
 1. Collects all dues and moneys. 
 
 2. Keeps an account of all moneys collected and paid out. 
 
 3. Pays bills when ordered by the president or secretary. 
 
 References on Corn 
 
 U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 
 
 Farmers' Bui. 253 Germination of Seed Corn. 
 
 Farmers' Bui. 298 Food Value of Corn and Corn Products. 
 
 Farmers' Bui. 313 Harvesting and Storing of Corn. 
 
 Farmers' Bui. 414 Corn Cultivation. 
 Farmers' Bui. 415 Seed Corn. 
 
 Farmers' Bui. 537 How to Grow an Acre of Corn. 
 
 Books 
 
 Corn. — Bowman & Crossley. 
 The Corn Crops. — Montgomery. 
 The Corn Lady.— Fields. 
 
The Home Project Notebook 
 
 Motto: To make the best better 
 CORN GROWING PROJECT RECORD 
 
 Year 
 
 Name 
 
 P. O Box Route 
 
 County 
 
 Name of Club 
 
 School Dist. No 
 
 Teacher 
 
 Club Leader 
 
 The student is urged to answer all questions, make all 
 records, and describe all operations called for in the 
 calendar of the monthly activities in the proper place 
 in this notebook. 
 
 G5 
 
66 1. Farm Plan 
 
 Draw on this page the plan of your farm. Show the location of 
 the home, main fences, use of each field this year, and location of 
 your corn plat. 
 
2. Size of Corn Plat 67 
 
 Length rods Width rods 
 
 Area square rods or acres 
 
 3. Seed Corn Record 
 
 SPRING 
 
 Variety of corn planted 
 
 Where was seed grown ? 
 
 Did you test the seed ? 
 
 Per cent of germination 
 
 Date of planting 
 
 How planted ( checkrowed, or drilled) ? 
 
 Where planted (upland, slope, or valley) ? 
 
 Kind of soil (sandy, loam, or clayey) 
 
 Condition of ground (fall or spring plowed, or disked) 
 Crop on this field last year 
 
 FALL 
 
 Date of harvesting seed Quantity bu. 
 
 Where and how stored for drying? 
 
 Date tested Per cent 
 
68 
 
 Record of Work 
 
 Each time any work is done on your corn crop, make a record 
 of it below. Begin this record with the first work done in getting 
 the ground ready for this year's corn crop. Use one line for each 
 kind of work. Make the record the day the work is done. 
 
 Value your time at 10c an hour and record same. Value all 
 help at 17c. Value all horse labor at 10c an hour. 
 
 
 Kind of Work 
 
 Hours 
 
 Value of Time 
 
 Date 
 
 Value 
 
 per 
 
 Hour 
 
 Total 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 | 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Total carried forward 
 
 
 
 
 
Record of Work 
 
 69 
 
 
 Kind of Work 
 
 Hours 
 
 Value of Time 
 
 Date 
 
 Value 
 
 per 
 Hour 
 
 Total 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
70 
 
 Record of Work 
 
 
 Kind of Work 
 
 Hours 
 
 Value of Time 
 
 Date 
 
 Value 
 
 per 
 Hour 
 
 Total 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Record of Work 
 
 71 
 
 
 Kind of Work 
 
 Hours 
 
 Value of Time 
 
 Date 
 
 Value 
 
 per 
 Hour 
 
 Total 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
72 
 
 Supplies 
 
 Record here the value of fertilizer and seed corn used on your 
 plat, and any other expense not shown in record of work. 
 
 Date 
 
 Material 
 
 Cost 
 
 
 | 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Total 
 
Record of Yield 
 
 73 
 
 This record is for your whole corn plat. Enter separately each 
 load or part of a load with the date on which same is husked. 
 Include seed corn selected and husked before frost. 
 
 Date 
 
 Bushels 
 
 Date 
 
 Bushels 
 
 Date 
 
 Bushels 
 
 
 
 Total yield bushels. Cost of husking at 4c per bushel $ . 
 
74 Record of Seed Corn Sold 
 
 Date 
 
 To Whom Sold 
 
 Quan- 
 tity 
 
 Price 
 
 Amt. of Sale 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Total Sales 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
Record of Seed Corn Sold 
 
 75 
 
 Date 
 
 To Whom Sold 
 
 Quan- 
 tity 
 
 Price 
 
 Amt. of Sale 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Total Sales 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
76 Rainfall Record 
 
 To be used if you have a rain gauge at home. 
 
 Date Inches 
 
 How Long Raining? 
 
Summary 
 
 77 
 
 A — RECEIPTS 
 SOLD 
 
 Seed corn 
 
 Corn (fed or sold) 
 
 .bu. @ 
 
 . bu. (a> 
 
 ON HAND 
 
 Seed corn 
 Corn .... 
 
 bu. @ 
 
 ( Estimated ) 
 
 . .bu. @ 
 
 (Market value) 
 
 Total bu 
 
 Total value of corn produced 
 
 B — EXPENDITURES 
 
 Rent of land at 5 per cent on fair 
 valuation 
 
 bu 
 
 or landlord's share of crop . . 
 
 Total cost of supplies 
 
 Hired labor @ 17c per hr. . . 
 
 Horse labor @ 10c per hr 
 
 Total Expense 
 
 C — PROFIT 
 
 Total value of products 
 
 (Subtract) Total expense 
 
 Labor income 
 
 (Subtract) Labor @ 10 per hr. 
 
 Profit or loss 
 
 D COST OF PRODUCTION 
 
 .Total expense divided by total yield equals $ 
 
 cost of production per bushel. 
 
 E RATE OF YIELD 
 
 sq. rods 
 
 Area or number of rows harvested and measured or rows 
 
 Yield from such area or rows bu - 
 
 bu. 
 
 bu. 
 
 Total yield for the plat. 
 Rate of yield per acre . . 
 
78 
 
 Visitors to Corn Plat 
 
 Let each person outside your home family who visits your corn 
 plat record his name. 
 
 Date 
 
 Name 
 
How I Grew My Corn 79 
 
80 Miscellaneous Notes and Remarks