Ames, C. T.

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Mississippi State University Scholars Junction Bulletins Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) 12-1-1920 Corn at Holly Springs Branch Experiment Station C. T. Ames Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/mafes-bulletins Recommended Citation Ames, C. T., "Corn at Holly Springs Branch Experiment Station" (1920). Bulletins. 284. https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/mafes-bulletins/284 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) at Scholars Junction. It has been accepted for inclusion in Bulletins by an authorized administrator of Scholars Junction. For more information, please contact scholcomm@msstate.libanswers.com. Bulletin No. 189 December I 5, 1920CORNATHOLLY SPRINGS BRANCHEXPERIMENT STATIONBy C. T. AmesMiSzissippi Agricultural Experiment StationAgriculturaliCollege, MississippiJ. R. RICKS. DirectorEXPERIMENTS WITH CORNAT THEHOLLY SPRINGS BRANCHEXPERIMENT STATIONINTRODUCTIONFor the last fourteen years experiments have been carried onat this Station with the testing of varieties of corn, different kindsof fertilizers, and best methods of soil preparation and cultivation.The results have been published from time to time in reports aswell as some of the general bulletins from the Central Station.This bulletin, however, deals with results obtained within the lastfew years. It must be remembered, however, that the resultsshown in this bulletin, as well as recommendations we make, arefor the Brown Loam section of Mississippi and do not apply toany other section. For instance, in our tests here the results indi-cate that we get good returns from the use of phosphorus, whichis not the case in some other sections of the state. From our ex-perience in growing corn for several years, we would state that togrow corn successfully on the Brown Loam soils the followingmethods of preparations and cultivations should be followed:PREPARATION OF THE SOIL.—On land properly surfacedrained, flat preparation and level cultivation gives decidedly thebest results. Fall breaking in the Brown Loam area is undesirab^-eunless large quantities of vegetable matter are being turned under,the surface to be left rough, or land is to be seeded to a wintercover crop, such as Crimson Clover, Vetch or Rye. The roots,stalk, and rubbish remaining on the surface of unbroken land dur-ing the winter,prevents washing to some extent, whereas, soilsturned, even on slightly rolling land, and left unprotected willgully in many places to the depth the land is broken.If winter cover crops are grown, the land m.ay be turned short-ly before the desired planting time, disked, harrowed, fertilized ifdesired, and planted.Soils that are broken in the fall and not planted to wintercover crops, in many instances, can be put in fine condition bydouble disking without re-breaking. If Vetch is used as a wintercover crop (See Holly Springs 1920 Report—" Two Year Rota-tion " ) it should be allowed to form some seed before the crop isremoved or turned into the soil. This will, of a necessity, causeJune planting of corn. The two crops, vetch and late corn, willbe more valuable than any early spring planting of corn andthe land wall be richer in vegetable matter.Where soil is inclined to be wet in the spring, the land may_2_be prepared in beds with water furrows not closer than everyother row, which will not prevent flat cultivation and at the sametime furnish proper drainage to the crop.TIME OF PLANTING.—Early plantings have always giventhe largest yields as the seasons are more favorable for £:rowthand there is no damage from bud worm on such plantings. Earlyin April is probably the earliest corn can be safely planted in NorthMississippi under ordinary weather conditions. Rows three andone-half feet wide are considered standard, as most cultivatorswill cover the entire middle, whereas, in broader rows an unculti-vated space will be left in the middle. The number of stalks peracre can easily be controlled by spacing in the row. A good standof corn is necessary to heavy yields. When very early plantingsare made heavy seedings are advisable. It is much easier andmore profitable to have to thin corn than it is to have to cultivateland with a poor stand. The more fertile the soil, the closer theslacks can be left in the row. A good distance is from one to fourfeet, according to soil fertility. When more than five feet is nec-essary, such land should not be planted in corn. Soy beans or cowpeas would be more profitable if it is necessary to use such landsfor feed growing.CULTIVATION. — With proper preparation, cultivation!should be shallow and frequent. A smoothing harrow run diago-nally across the rows while the corn is quite young does splendidwork. This harrow may do good a few days later if run at rightangles to first harrowing. After this, if the soil has become packedfrom lack of vegetable matter after a hard rain, a sharp tooth ^cultivator run three, or three and one-half inches deep will enliventhe soil, and while the plants are small will do no harm. Afterthis, frequent shallow cultivation, deep enough to make a gooddust mulch, is desirable. Cultivate as soon as possible after eachrain to destroy the weeds and grass while young, and check theloss of moisture, which takes place very rapidly after a crust isformed on the surface. Cultivation should continue until about thetime the corn begins to tassel.As to the kinds of tools to use, that will depend upon theweather conditions. Ordinarily, for one horse work, a side harrow,.double shovel Perry, or a five tooth cultivator will do very satis-factory work. The double horse culltivator with shovel plow at-tachments does good work while the corn is young and the springtooth attachment for later work. If the season is very wet, usethe plow that will destroy the most grass with the least damageto the corn.It may be seen in a following table that the prolific varieties have in most instances given the highest yields, such varietiesas Cocke's Prolific, Mosby, Hastings, North Carolina Prolific, Jone;Prolific, Vardaman, and Davis Poor Land corn. In the past fev__3—years selections from the Tennessee Red Cob, such as NeaPs Pay-master, Station Paymaster, and Tennessee Red Cob, a large earedtype, are taking the lead.SEED CORN.—Every farmer should, as far as possible, selecthis own seed, and if he finds that he has not the best variety andcannot obtain good sound seed from his own farm, he should buyhis seed from some good seed breeder in his own section and notsend to some distant state for it. This is particularly true ofnorthern and western grown seed. Seed of the above mentionedvarieties that have been grown and selected by a good seed breederanywhere in the Southern States, especially east of the MississippiRiver, will give good results in this section. The planting of earlyvarieties of corn, especially where the seed have been obtainedfrom the northern states should be discouraged. These varietiesare usually low in yield, and quality of the grain is poor. Manyfarmers, with the idea of getting some early feed, plant theseearly northern grown varieties. They are only a few days earlierthan some of our native varieties. Every farmer who has at-tempted to grow these varieties knows that they are very inferior,and as a usual thing, he never tries them the second time.FERTILIZERS.—The use of commercial fertilizers undercorn has not been a very paying investment as indicated in themajority of the fertilizer experim.ents conducted at this Station.Nitrate of soda, or nitrogen in some form, applied to the crop atplanting time, or after first working, has given the best results,when early plantings are made on good soil. The inability of soil,deficient in humus or organic matter, to retain the proper amountof moisture is the greatest limiting factor in producing largeyields. When legumes have not been grown and but little acidphosphate used on previous crops, apply from 150 to 200 poundsacid phosphate and 75 to 100 lbs. nitrate of soda, or its equiv-alent in other forms of nitrogen, per acre. Apply acid phosphatebefore seed planting and nitrate of soda after first working on topof the soil near the plants. If other forms of nitrogen are used,such as cotton seed meal, or high grade tankage, it may be appliedwith the phosphate before planting.From results indicated in the fertilizer tables, it would appearthat corn planted in five and one-half or six foot rows and leftthick enough in the drill to make up for the extra width, and themiddles between the rows planted either to soy or velvet beans,have given good results. Such a method does not reduce the yieldof corn, and the beans make a better growth ; this plan a^so givesthe beans as an extra crop. Use 200 pounds per acre of acid phos-phate under the beans for the best results.Probably the most economical results are obtained, when onlynitrate of soda, or some other readily available nitrogen is used.If nitrate of soda is used, 100 pounds to the acre applied at thetime of planting, or at the time the corn is given its first working,—4—S3ems to give the most economical returns. However, we knowthat these soils are deficient in phosphorus, and applications ofacid phosphate, mentioned above, usually give paying returns.EIGHT YEAR VARIETY TEST WITH CORNSoil—Brown Loam Valley Land.Plots—One row plots repeated five or six times, containing from one-twen-tieth to cne-tenth an acre each.Fertilizer—From 300 to 400 pounds of cottonseed meal and acid phosphatem.ixed and applied under the seed. Two crops of crimson clover and twocrops of wheat and vetch were also grown on the land during the pastnine years.NAMKS OFvARiirriES'AT y,^ y,f< AT'reiinisise Ijed Col)N. (". I'l-olific (Ilonu^ (irownirmTs I'l-nlific<'..ck(''s I'l-olificFlorida Flintl>avis" I'oor Land Corn....VaKljunan's Stooling- Coi-n.Rcid s Yellow Dent:\Iosl).v.Mosby . . . . ( Woodniffs I . . .Alexander's (>-Ear *.Koono County ...White...X. C. ProlificRockdaleColiad.lohnson's ProlificMarn.oroHickory Kin.i;-Xeal's PaymasterAla. Expt. Sta. Yellow. . .New Erallastin.ii's ProlificMosby ( Rhodes iLeamin.u:^NIuBsoni:— 1.lones' Prolificr. S. D. A. No. 111.-.Williamson.Tobnson County White ....•Toues" \'ardanianSlniniiius' Pi'olific,l-'cruusMu's Velbtw Dent ...Suic ("roppcr• Jiaut Tenne.-;scc Red Cob..Paymaster i S1;i t imi i,Mosby .-•,-).•;Payniaslcr < llai-pctb • ....Teum'ssfe Red Col)--T2 . .(lari'ic.2.01i.-.F.:f4i4.r,!4!)|r,4.o>4.0i0:5.0!|.-,F2tr.T.n|r»o.24:iIso..-,i-.0.2I;-).-..! |;5.S.9ofis.oj |.-,4.4|4:;.<;olr.T.o 4.-..!»|.-.2.2|4s.l'.!;s7.(i|4s.7i.-.1.2|4T.:-!(;|T4.7|:-!s.4|4!;.sj:is.4S!7.-..0|.->0.2|4'.).1 |4:'>.(is! 71) oi.-.;;.7i4s.(;i42 (»I I|4C,.l»|n4.4017"...-. .-,:>,..-.1 4<'..M4o.!»I I III I|4r,.<;|::(',.77.1 K;r...j|41.0|4.-,.,S|4F4I I|4:{.8|41).(ir,.7|Go.s|:{7.o|:is.4|22.nII II I II II II II I14 (;..">].n|4r...-,|1I77..-, 147.014.-..S|S3..'ii4n.:?|.-.I.-.4. 4 I.-54.011 i7:F(tir.().o|4iII411)2. 2i4S.l 140.2I I !I i I40.20.8.•!f».S:>().s1d1 .P1-Y'T-J:^ ~ ^a.ivl< u34.2j50.2 [01.111 ^">-J-"^>I;14.7|S().4|41.SO|2H:{.o|7.-,.7241. .-,172.9I.I102.8145.24I I I.(;!:',i.(;i07.o|H4.40n.8i;{().2| 1.S8.724.S.11)210..-.184.0121 8..-, 178.5228.0 79.2:!:!.(;! 171.22(i.(;i;{:r2l:;o.4l2!K0|1.•!:?.(> 1 07. 7 1:^4.00 121 7.5 182.61:'.:',.!)1 Ii I1 102.01 1 I ..•'>4.414(>.5I(55.7 1 5< ».20 1 240.01 72.2ao.OlI|41).5;M217.5|73.644.01 100.2a().5iII I25. 8 l:V2. 01 01. 01 42.04I1(50.!)'207.(:i8.2lI|:',0.05l2:n.5 70.41.34.21I "I I147.31i !I138.41 1 40.0!) 1230.0 175.7I 1 00.4 130.00 1230.5 1 84.005.71 1 40.071 230.5 173.G1I I1 5 1.02 1 240. 5 1 70.0141. 01 T21 7. 5 1 77.8101.03 1 275.01 73.0157 001242.5172.2140.431223.0107.4144.01170.1 II87.5I173.71I II IFERTILIZER UNDER CORN. 1917.Soil—Brown Loam Table land.Plots—Six rows, each 92 feet long and four feet wide, makingone-twentieth of an acre.Planted to Mosby corn, April 24, 1917.Number. Bushels per acre.1.—200 pounds Acid Phosphate .16.62._Check 15.53._200 pounds Cottonseed Meal 24.14.—200 pounds Kainit 17.75._Ch8ck 15.56.—200 pounds Basic Slag 14.77.—200 pounds Tenn. Phosphate Rock 15.88._Check 11.49.—100 Cottonseed Meal100 pounds Acid Phosphate 24.110.—100 pounds Cottonseed Meal 23.0300 pounds Acid Phosphate11._Check 15.412.—200 pounds Acid Phosphate200 pounds Cottonseed Meal 25.813.—300 pounds Tenn. Phosphate Rock100 pounds Cottonseed Meal 17.514._Check ..20.015.—200 pounds Cottonseed Meal200 pounds Basic Slag 14.716.—100 Cottonseed Meal300 pounds Acid Phosphate 16.417._Check 11.418.-300 pounds Cottonseed Meal300 pounds Acid Phosphate 16.119.—300 pounds Acid Phosphate300 pounds Kainit. 17.520.—Check 20.021.—300 pounds Acid Phosphate300 pounds Kainit 14.722.—400 pounds Cottonseed Meal 15.523.—Check 11.424.—2000 pounds Crushed Limestone 12.7REMARKS.—The season was unfavorable, which is usuallythe case on comparatively thin land. In the arrangement oftable it was necessary to repeat check plots, as every fifth plotwas used in planting.CONCLUSIONS.—Large applications of fertilizer a dry yearwill not insure a large yield, when used on thin land. Two hun-dred pounds of cottonseed meal gave good results, also a mixtureof 100 pounds of cotton seed meal and 100 pounds add phosphate.The limiting factor unquestionably was the lack of the properamount of moisture. Such land, if possible, should be seeded invelvet beans early in the spring, using 200 pounds acid phosphateunder the beaus. In the early fall these beans should be eithergrazed off or turned under and land then seeded to either hairyvetch or crimson clover. If planted to corn after this crop, it willyield enough to make up for the year lost in corn.FERTILIZER TEST WITH CORN AND BEANS. 1919.Soil—Brown Loam valley land from which had been har-vested a crop of wheat and vetch, shortly before seeding to corn.Plots—Six rows each, four feet wide and 235 feet long, mak-ing one-eighth of an acre. All rows four feet wide unless other-wise stated.Planted—June 28, 1919.Number Bushels per acre.1.—Corn and soy beans in same row 35.62._Check 39.23.—Corn and velvet beans in same row. . . .32.14.—Corn in 6 ft. row with soy beansbetween row 39.25._Check 38.1;6.—Corn in 6 ft. rows, velvet beansbetween rows 36.7'7.—Corn, 100 pounds nitrate of soda]after first working 48.28.—Check 38.19.—250 pounds cottonseed meal at 'planting 44.110.—250 pounds acid phosphate 41.511._Check 38.1;12.—250 pounds cottonseed meal atplanting 47.3\13.—250 pounds cottonseed meal '250 pounds acid phosphate 47.714._Check 41.115.—250 pounds cottonseed meal250 pounds acid phosphate 44.4REMARKS.—It was the intention that all plots, includingthose with six-foot rows, should have the same number of stalksper acre.In the arrangement of the above table it was necessary to re-peat two of the check plots, as in the planting each fifth plot wasa checkCONCLUSIONS.—Nitrogen gave the best results. As maybe seen, 100 pounds of nitrate of soda applied after first working,gave an increased yielld of ten bushels per acre.It would also appear that corn planted in 5 1-2 to 6 ft. rows,using the same number of stalks per acre as for narrow rows, andplanting a row of velvet or soy beans between the rows of corn,does not decrease the yield of corn. Such a method would givean additional crop of beans on the land which almost every acrein the South sorely needs.CORN FOR SILAGEThe principal silage crop in the South is corn. Such varietiesas Goliad, Mosby, Cocke's Prolific, and Hastings are tall growingand give good yields. Of these varieties we would especially rec-ommend Goliad, since it usually produces anywhere from 10 to 30per cent more in tonnage than the other varieties. For the pastthree years, this Station has discarded the use of corn as silageentirely, and is now growing Japanese seeded ribbon cane. Onthis land this sorghum will stand much more drouth than cornand produce greater tonnage. On good land, after a crop of crim-son clover, where the corn grew thirteen feet tall, it only producedtwelve and one-half tons of silage per acre, whereas, sorghum onsimilar soill would have produced from 15 to 16 tons per acre. Infeeding tests at the Central Station, it was determined that therewas something like fifty cents per ton difference in feeding valuein favor of corn. With this small difference, and a considerableincrease in yield and a much surer crop on either thin or fertilesoil, why grow corn for silage at all? In using sorghum for silage,the cane must be full ripe, that is, ripe enough for syrup; other-wise it makes a sour silage, an undesirable feed. Corn and sor-ghum mixed make a good silage. Corn and sorghum may beplanted in alternate rows with success on fertile soils.It must be remembered, however, that by growing sorghumon the same land continuously, the fertility of the soil is reducedrapidly and in a few years even sorghum growing on the samesoil would be unprofitable. It is usually conceded that sorghumwill reduce the fertility of the soil more rapidly than corn. Ingrowing either crop for silage it will be necessary to add liberalamounts of barnyard manure, or else grow some cover crop, likevetch and oats, or crimson clover to be turned into the soil inorder to keep up the fertility. In this section this can be done. Asscon as the crop is off in the early fall, the land must be imme-diately prepared and planted to a winter cover crop, which may beturned into the soil as early in the spring as the maturity of suchcrop justifies. By this is meant, if the crop should be crimsonclover, it is ready to be turned into the soil when it is in full bloom,which is usally about the first of May. If vetch and oats, or vetchand some other small grain are used, the time for turning underWill be about two or three weeks later, or about the time the firstvetch seed are ripe as indicated on the first page of this bulletin.By following this system, one can continue to grow these silagecrops for several years, provided that some acid phosphate hasbeen applied to the soil. Where a good deal of barnyard manureis used, and where a large amount of these cover crops is turnedunder, rock phosphate will give good results. By using rockphosphate in larger quantities than acid phosphate, it will beunnecessary to add this material oftener than four or five years.

Corn at Holly Springs Branch Experiment Station

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