Farmers' bulletin (United States. Dept. of Agriculture); no. 773

"For 50 years new settlers from the East[of the United States] have attempted to grow corn in the semiarid West. The seed used and the methods employed were often those with which the settlers had had experience in the East. They were not adapted to western conditions, and many failures resulted... It is the purpose of this bulletin to show in a general way some of the causes of these failures and how failures may be made less frequent or less intense. Particular varieties of corn and particular methods of cultivation are not applicable to the whole of any large area. Nevertheless, there are certain fundamental requirements of moisture, heat, and fertility which everywhere govern corn yields. A change in the supply of one may make a change in another advisable. Thus, the moisture requirement varies with the amount of heat available. In short, the secret of successful corn culture is to maintain a proper balance of moisture, heat, and fertility." -- title pag