Here’s a scene you won’t see today, but back in the 1940s it was a common sight. This is an advertisement for an Allis-Chalmers Model “C” tractor, marketed from 1940 to 1949 and promoted because the spacing in an earlier tractor, a Model “B”, was too narrow to “cultivate” two rows at once. Today corn is not cultivated. Rows are close together, individual plants are close together, herbicides are used, and there are numerous hybrids available.
Many factors influence corn growth: planting time, spring temperatures, amount of rain received, area of the state, and the particular hybrid used. Years ago, it was said that corn should be “knee-high” by the 4th of July. Today, corn could be six feet high or even higher by the 4th of July.
On two Iowa Barn Foundation tours my husband took photos of me standing in front of a field of corn. On June 18, 2018 the corn was over six feet tall, which was impressive. On June 25, 2022 in the same area, it was about a foot tall. Check your local corn fields and make comparisons from year to year.
