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HARRINGTON COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, SASKATOON Com Growing in Saskatchewan. The conditions which favour the growinj? of corn to its greatest pr^rfection are high temperature and long growing seasons. Cool nights, and frosts in late spring and early fail therefore impose serious restrictions upon its use in northern latitudes. But while corn is a warm climate crop the continued se- lection of specially adapted early maturing types has resulted in the limits of successful corn-growing being pushed farther and farther northward. Corn has now a permanent place on the majority of farms in the northern states and it is growing in favour every year in the western provinces. While the season is not long enough to permit of profitable grain production, it has been demonstrated conclusively that com can be grown successfully as a forage crop. A» a substitute for fallow it xyill doubtless have a useful place in most of our wheat farming districts. The Four-Fold Value of the Com Crop. Corn may be grown profitably in Saskatchewan as a forage crop, a cleaning crop, a substitute for fallow and as a means of lessening the cost of producing wheat. All four purposes are served at the same time. Com as a Forage Crop.— Under average conditions corn produces very fair returns. Yields of forage varying with the season and the culture given from 8 to 20 tons green weight per acre have been reported from different parts of the province. In the least favourable season during the past five years at Saskatoon corn produced eight tons green weight per acre. In other years the yield has been as high as fourteen tons per acre. At Indian Head the average yield for some of the leading varieties for a period of five years is over seventeen tons of green weight per acre. Even when we allow for the large amount of water that green corn contains these yields compare very favourably with those of any other forage crop that we can grow. Ten tons of green corn cut when the cobs are partly formed is equivalent to about 2 tons of cured fodder. Com as a Cleaning Crop. — Weeds constitute the most serious hindrance to profitable grain farming in the older settled parts of the province and are already proving a menace in the newer sections. Continuous grain growing is impossible unless adequate m.eans are found for keeping the land clean. Corn is one of the best crops for this purpose. The thorough culti- ! €30.4 vatlon neceuary for the successful production of corn aids materially in the control of weeds and thus offers another means for coping with a very difficult problem. Com as a Substitute for Fallow. — The summerfallow is admittedly an expensive method of controlling weeds and con- serving moisture, in that a considerable part of the cultivated land is bringing in no returns. Besides the fallowed land Erovides the best possible conditions for soil drifting, which Is ecoming a serious drawback to profitable crop production in many places. By substituting a corn crop for the summerfallow it is possible to make profitable use of the land every year. A crop of forage on land that would otherwise be idle is obviously a good thing, provided it can be had without seriouslv reducing the yield of grain the following season. This is what actually occurs in practice if the corn land is kept clear of weeds. Wheat sown on corn ground frequently equals and sometimes exceeds the s^eld of the same crop when sown on fallowed land. The A Typical IMant of an Early Flint Varietv ^,* :. . I crop on corn ground also matures earlier than that on fallowed land. Experiments at Saskatoon have demonstrated that corn may replace summertallow without materially affecting the yield of grain the next yoar. The same result has been reported from the North Dakota Experiment Station, the Brandon and Indian Head Experimental farms and from many farmers as well. In some years the yields are slightly less but this is offset by an earlier and more evenly maturing irop. In addition to doing the work of the fallow in controlling weeds and conserving moisture, corn will prevent soil drifting while the crop occupies the land, and the corn stubble, while not always preventing, will considerably lessen the drifting. And what is still more important, the manure resulting from the feeding of the corn crop will help replace the organic matter which is so essential to the control of both soil drifting and soil moisture. Com Lessens the Cost of Producing Grain. The cost of producing farm crops must be kept down if farming is to be profitable. Corn ground that has been well intertilled and kept clean does not need to be ploughed, hence the cost of a cereal crop is very considerably reduced and to that extent the profit on the succeeding crop is increased. A crop of fodder has also been obtained from the land the previous season without prejudice to the grain crop that is to follow. These results, however, are not obtained unless the corn field is kept as clean as a good summertallow. Success depends on this factor more than on any other. Uses of the Com Crop. In this province corn may be grown either for fodder, for soiling purposes, for "hogging off," or for silage. The form in which it is generally used at the present time is as cured fodder for cattle. For soiling purposes, however, dairy farmers will find it to be unexcelled for milk production in the dry part of the summer when the pastures have dried up. The "hogging off" of early maturing corn in the warmer parts of the province, while not yet practised to any extent, promises to aid materially in cheapening the cost of producing hogs as well as in lowering the cost of crop production. Corn is the most suitable silage crop we have. In this connection it should be pointed out that a cheap form of silo, and on t^ at in the western states is now being used quite exten- sively .mely the pit silo, is likely to fill the early need of the ill stockman quite satisfactorily. •e early varieties of corn have ripened in the southern piartf of all three prairie provinces. A few men have seldom failed to get seed sufficiently matured to grow. But as a grain crop, however much the future holds for us, at present it is not a commercial success except m local areas in the south and in favourable seasons elsewhere. Com in the Rotation. What has been said of corn as a substitute for fallow indi- cates its natural place in the rotation. As a forage crop it can be used to most advantage by replacing as much of the summer- fallow as seems practicable. In parts of Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan, where the precipitation is sufficient, corn might very well take the place of the fallow in such rotationB as are used at present. For most of the prairie section of this prov- ince, however, the indications are that the wheat-oat-fallow rotation must be replaced in the near future by a more per- manent system, iiuludinK crops that will restore fibre to the soil. The following are suKK'-sti'd as suitable rotations of this type: (Seeded Rotation No. 1 Rotation No. 2. 1. Wheat. I. Wheat. •> Oats. 2. Corn. .s, Corn. •■\. Wheat or oats I. Wheat (Seeded down to down to Krass) tfraas). 4. Hay " pasture. 5. Hay. 5. Fallo 6. Pasture. 7. Fallow. Rotation No. 2 is a shortened form of No. 1, requiring less time to complete and fewer fields. It is recommended for the drier parts of the province where moisture conservation is of most importance. Those who for any reason do not wish to depart from the wheat-oat-fallow plan would do well to plant corn on a few acres of the fallow with a view to testing out its merits and getting familiar with the crop. Fall or spring ploughed stubble makes a better seed bed for corn than freshly broken sod and the land may be summer- fallowed after grass with practically no danger of soil drifting. Favourable Soil Conditions. Corn prefers a warm soil. Other conditions being similar it will start earlier and grow faster on a rich loam soil than on any heavier type. In our climate, however, it has been com- monly observed that, e.xcept in years of early fall frosts, corn p; 'luces a much heavier growth of forage when planted on lew 1;, iff soil that is well supplied vvith moisture. A iigbt, warm soil under similar condition would, no doubt, yield more. The iiop needs b> 11' -^ aim and a .iiui.st soil. vVnere grain is desired warm t>oils are essential, but wnere forage only is looked for, while warm soils are favoured, the crop will do well on all except the coldest types. .\ Profitable Field (if Onn Rcpla.'iiie Part of tin Gull Laliiv SasKati'h.'wan, 1920. Summerfallow. Preparation of the Land. 1 1 stubblf liiiid is nvn^s\ . tall pIdUjfhiiiK i-* |iif|'t'riil>lf : it' it is lU'un, th(»n>iiKh surf-icf i iilti\atioii in the Tail, tnllowetl by »l)riiiK t)loUKhiiiK', \M'II worked dnuri iinnicdiatcly al'ttT ihf KpiTatioii, i.H likiiy to provt- sat i>liii tor> m the avtraK'- sta.Hoii. If plantfd oil (all or spiiiiK ploutfhiii).' the land should lif Wfll tirmed and thi- surlatc I horoiiKlii'' iulti\atfil. Wfll roili'd niaiiuif uil! prove ad\ anlaKcous, t-ittifr toji dressed or plou^'lied undfr. Strawy nianure, if used, should he plouKhed under and thin spreadiiiK i.s essential. Four u, six tons per ai r<- is ^utli. ieiil. Thorouvrh preparation of the surface soil is more ess,.,ir i.ij for thi' corn croii than for at.v oth"i . ereal. The Choice of Varieties. Of the many exi.sliiiK \aneties of corn, comparatively few are suitable for Saskatchew an londitions. The late dents and late flints are laekiriir in hardiness, generally low in yield and on account of their imniaturitv at harvest make an inferior (|ualily of silage. The remaininj.' types of corn mav l)i divided into three groups, 'rni-Ii..n! A ' , l-;arl> I >f'ii j I , I'L'l •'' " ■' " ' l-'.T ; li' 4 i ■ ; 1" y I 1" ■• ! 14 V 9 7 i 19 I-at.. l-'llnt I : I I i ii:;. :.:• •' • , i^.. i: • .. . , ij.7 i H'.'' , I'.s 1,,, 15 I. at.. |..-rii ; ' ' ' I 1 I (34 1 r,.i; I .. u.'.i '• T :..; s.i 1 v. 4 ' (.,2 7', | 1,1 ri ^^tr?*? 'j.^'n ;■/••'*' ,'l :,f - . ,T.-. "■W Notf: Thi' yiflds of lurrd fodiliT, as k'^'" "> 'h<' l"'*t column, wen- caliulati'd trom thr Kn^n wt-iKhtM taking mlo aciiiiint the aviTUtff stajre of miiturily of carh corn uioup at harvtvst timt'. This jh u truvr nii-asiirf of the uiIuhI fcfdinjt viilut' oblairu'd from an lurv than tht- Krcfii wfiirhi. Tctting the Seed. The pciit'lilaKt' and vigour of Kt'l'mi'latioli ot the .seed .should be dett'rmini'i before plant intf- This information, which lor corn is more important than fi r any other erop, tan be (d)tained easily and (luicklv bv thither the blollinvr paper or the soil methoil of testinjf. Seed" that does not Kivj- a hiRh Kt'f'ni"-'''"" '*■■"•' < '•"* ' or over) should either be discardetl or a larger i|iiantity useil In this eonneilion it should be pointed out that in all eorn Krowinjr rcKions the practice of buyiiiK the seed on the ear is olteii followed. On those farms wher»' corn is used in a larKe way and planted in hills it is advisable to purchase the seed on the ear, Kar corn sold for seed has trenerally received more or le.s.s selec- tion. .Such seed is lik«dy to be hiK'her in price, but the percentane and \ijroi- of Kt'rmi.iation will in\arial)lv more than offset the additional cost. Planting the Crop Date of Planting. The n< .irer corn can be broutfht to niaturitv before fall frost the better will be the (luality of the fodder i>r silajrc l>rodmed. Karly seeding K'ves a longer period of ^'rowth and in that respect is desirable, but early planted corn fre(iuently does not get alonjr well owing to two causes: 1, If the soil is cold part of the seed may rot and the re- mainder Kcrminate very slowly, causinjf a poor stand. 2. Late sprir u frosts often give early planted corn a severe setback. In seasons free of late spring frosts the May 10 seeding at Saskatoon produced more forage than any later planting. In HUr). when a severe frost came in .June, the May .'50 seeding was the best. The largest average yields during an eight year test were from the May 20 and .'50 plantings. Corn r'..»nteu later than this was lower in both yield and ijuality. The usual practice is to sow during the last v.eek of May. In the southwestern portion of the proviP'-c ine danger from frost is less and corn may be planted there a week or two earlier. Method of PUntinp;.— Corn is planted either in rows with an ordinarv grain i nl'i or in hills with a corn planter. In this country the mo.^t forage is usually secured from seeding in rows. Another advantage of this method is that it does not reciuire the purchase of a new implement. Furthermore, it is the (juicke.st way. To prepare a seeder for planting corn, block up six out ot seven seed outlets, o • better .still, place a cardboard hopper or a large tin funnel ovci every seventh opening in the drill box. Where grain is the object sought, the hill method should he used, as corn, unlike wheat, matures mo.st rapidly when given plenty of room. Hill planting or checking is especially desrable on weedy land, for it gives opportunity for tillage in two direc- tions— both lengthwise and acrc.ss the rows. Checking corn r*^- quires the use of a hand planter or else the purchase of a corn planter. This outlay is partly off .set by the saving in seed. OUUnc* Apart of Row*. Kxpt-ritiifnls i (indiit ti-d for eight yt'Uis ut HuHkatoon iiidiiate that r the hi>rht!m .'{ to 4 let-t apart. With hill plantinK the hi«ht'.>tl net ictiiriis utro prodm • cd I'roni hiil.H .". fcft apart t-ai h way. I!t( ausf ni the Krt-atfr fiiMo and thoroujfhnrss with which the i rop lati bf cultivatid and kt'pt cUati it \t^ a Ivi.sabl*' to havf the rows :ii.; tict apart or thi' hills :5'.. t'l'tt a(iart t-ach way. Rate of Planting. When i orn is planti'd iii luu.- .1'.- I'tM't apart, about 2(1 pounds ol' seed per acre is suftirit-nt. At this ••ate the kii nols should drop about live or six iiuhfs apart in .e row. It is a Kood plan to test th«' drill on a pifie of hard ground btd'orc i-oninuMuiriK to seed. When hill , lantin^ is use the time when it is impossible to get the horse or horses through between the rows the heavier the crop will be and the better condition the land will be in for the following crop. If small ai'eas ciilv are (ilantcd to corn the one-row cultiva- tor is ([uite satisfactory. For larger areas, however, a two-row machine will (|uickly i)ay for itself in the saving of one man's time. Harvesting The time to liarvest the crop should be determined tirst. by the tiiaturity of the crop, and, second, by the probability of fall frosts. As a rule, in this country, the crop should be left as long as possible and yet avoid fro.sts. We have in the past usually cut our corn at Saskatoon in the first ten days of Sep- tember. Occasi(jnally frosts occur before this date, but some- times they do not come until considerably later. A slight frost usually stops the development of the crop, without seriously in- juring its feeding value. As a matter of fact, when corn is very green and immature a slight frost i-esults in drying it out to .some extent, and thus makes the fodder easier to cure. It also makes green immature corn less moist and the silage from it less sour. In all cases where corn is caught by frost it should be cut as .soon as possible. When frosted corn is left standing the plants rapidiy dry out and much of the feeding value is lost through weathering. The harvesting may be done with the sickle, the binder, or the corn harvester. The first is the most laborious, and is ad- visable only when the crop is grown in a small way. The second plan is (luite satisfactory in most seasons. When corn is grown in large areas, and particularly if the crop is heavy, a corn har- vester should be used. A possible development for corn lies in its use as a pasture crop for cattle in fall or early winter. This practice has not been extensively studied in Saskatchewan, but some men have reported favourably upon it. The difficulty and cost of the har- vesting which comes at a very busy time would be lessened, but whether the net return would be worth the effort has yet to be determined. By this method there is some dan«?er of loss of .stock due to forage poisoning or over-feeding. Curing and Storing Depending upon the uses to which it is to be put, the corn crop is cured in different ways. Tnat used for soiling purposes is, of course, cut green and fed in that condition. If it is to be used as roughage for .stock it is cured by shocking it in the field. Corn is sometimes left stooked in the field until needed and then drawn to the .stable by the sleighload. A better method is 8 to have it near the buildings in long ricks. These ricks should run east and west to allow the snow to be carried through by the prevailing winds and not banked up against the corn. Fodder corn should not be stored in lofts or stacks unless layers of dry straw are placed between the layers of corn bundles. The layers of straw should be three or four times the thickness of the layers of corn, and the twine on the corn bundles should b*^ cut. The straw absorbs the moisture and prevents heating. This straw comes out of storage so flavoured by the corn that cattle eat it readily. When stacked alone the corn should be well cured in the shocks, and the ricks or stacks must be made quite narrow to prevent spoiling. Some men have found that piling the cured bundles like cord wood is quite satisfactory. The ideal way of storing fodder is in the silo. There are many types of silo, but all of the "above ground" types are rather expensive and at the present time can only be recommended for those having dairy farms or a considerable number of growing or fattening cattle. The 'pit" or "underground silo" is much less expensive, and although less convenient, it promises to lend itself better to the conditions that exist on many western farms than does the more expensive "above ground" type. Equipment Necessary When corn is grown for fodder only, no equipment other than the ?rain drill, the one or two-horse cultivator and the grain binder is reriuired at first. If after the crop has been tested thoroughly it is found to be satisfactory a horse drawn, two row planting machine, or a two-horse cultivator, or a corn harvester, or all three may be purchased. These machines save a great deal of time and may be used for other purposes as well as for handling the corn crop. Summary 1. Corn is a warm climate crop growing slowly in cool seasons and is easily affected by frost. 2. The average yield of corn for the past eight years at Saskatoon is over 11 tons green weight (or over 2 tons dry weight) per acre. At Indian Head, corn yielded an average of 17 tons green weight per acre over a period of five years. 3. Corn is our most satisfactory intertilled crop and offers a profitable means of controlling weeds. 4. Corn is a successful substitute for the summerfallow and when used as such materially aids is lessening soil drifting. 5. Corn lessens the cost of producing cereals. 6. Corn is used for winter fodder, silage, pasture, more par- ticularly for hogs, and as a soiling cron. 7. Corn prefers a warm, moist, fertile soil. 8. A promising rotation for the drier parts of Saskatchewan consists of (1) wheat. (2) corn, (3) wheat or oats seeded down to grass, (4) hay or pasture, (5) summerfallow. 9 oflf. 9. The squaw varieties are most useful for grain or hogging 10. For fodder or silage production the early flinta give the best results. Recommended varieties are Dakota White, Gehu, Burleigh County Mixed and Quebec No. 28. 11. Before planting, the seed should be tested for germina- tion. 12. Averaging the results of an eight year test at Saskatoon, the largest returns were produced by corn planted during the last 10 days of May at the rate of 20 pounds of seed per acre. 13. Rows 31/2 feet apart have been found to be most satis- factory. 14. When hill planted only 8 to 12 pounds of seed per acre are required. 15. Hill planting or checking corn is the best for weed con- trol. 16. Corn requires cultivations to be frequent, shallow and continued late. 17. The crop should be left as long as possible and yet har- vested before frost. If frosted it should be cut immediately. The grain binder may be used successfully but the corn harvester is most satisfactory. 18. Corn may be stored in long rows near the buildings, in stacks or lofts, with alternate layers of straw, or in a silo. 19. No costly equipment is necessary to start growing corn, but the planter, cultivator and binder are very desirable because of the time which can be saved by their use. Rkoina: Printed by .1, W. Rkid. King's Printer. 10 . \ ■J=P^\f^^>il**<^'''ci-T^ ..»•■■'•• 'v»:*^^^ i