Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-10-10

failure and in your disappointment.
Fl. C.
SELECTING SEED CORN.
One important method of improvement
il agriculture is by the selection of good
seed. This is not only essential for the
purpose of improvement but for the pur-
pose of preventing deterioration. Almost
any seed may be improved by proper
attention, and if every farmer has valua-
bic kind and rests satisfied without i'm
provement, he must not suppose that it
will continue good without that pains
which is usually prac:iced to improve it.
We often hear farmers and gardeners
speak of their having had valuable kind
of grain, peas, or something else Of i'm
portance, and now. they say. they have
run out. and they know not where to find
any of the kind so having managed i'm
such way as to allow an excellent kind
of vegetable to degenerate, they have re-
course to some other kind that has been
improved under the judiciogs care of more
skilful cultivators.
Corn is a very profitable crop to the
farmer, as the fodder, with good manage
ment in curing. and in feeding, is usually
worth as much as good crop of grass on
the same ground; the grain is cooked in
many ways and forms an excellent food
! for man, and it forms good food alone, or
is valuable ingredient in mixed food for
stock. The importance of this crop, and
the difficulties in raising it in cool seasons,
should stimulate every farmer to learn
what kind is best, and induce those that
have good kinds to select seed judiciousiy,
that they may IN a measure overcome the
troubles that attend its cultivation. And
here we should urge one very importa ut
consideration upon the farmer, which, we
believe, will pass unnoticed by many to
their very serious Disadvantage; that is,
this season has been unusually propitious
TO the corn crop, and the farmer should
calculate to plant seed suited to the short,
cool seasons for a number of years last
past, rather than calculate on succession
Of such seasons as the present.
The earliest ears that ripen, if they are
well filled, of good form and large size,
should be selected for seed, and marked
by tying some hnsks together, or in some
other way, that they may be distinguished
at harvest; or if the corn be we'll ripened
it may be gathered at the time the seec-
ton is made. Ii a very valuable variety
of corn be cultivated that is rather late for
the climate and it be desirable to acclimate
it, the very earliest ears must be selected
without so much regard to their size and
beauty but if the corn be sufficiently
early, and it be necessary TO improve in
the size of the ears and in productveness,
then none should be selected but the large
handsome ears that are we'll filled and
that grow on stalks that have two good
ears or more, the best of which only should
be taken.
Though a kind of corn may be suffi.
GENTLY early for the climate, the ears tina,
! first ri pen, being otherwise as desired fol-
theabove purposes of improvement, should
be selected, otherwise it will grow later
and adapt itself to the climate where it is
cultivated and not only that, as corn
originated in southern climates it is
prone, when cultivated in the north, tc
grow later and adapt itself to the longer
season in the climate of its origin. There.
fore care is necessary in order that early
corn may continue TO be early; and il
the seed be not selected when the corn is
ripening, so that the earliest ears ,an be
distinguished, the large late ears will be
likely to be selected, and thus the crop
will be later and later every year.
Seed corn should be selected from those
stalks that are large at the bottom, and
are not very high, but run up of a regu.
lar taper, and have the ears Set low Ii
convenient tie corn should not be sheled
fromthe cob long before it is planted, as
that part where the chit starts is very ten.
der, and has thin covering for its pro
lection, but ii is protected by the cob be
fore ii is sheled. As that part of the
corn that contains moisture, and seems tc
be the seat of life in the vegetable process
is embedded IN the cob, w.t., a very ten
: der skin over it, it is evident that on expo
E sure, when taken from the cob the mois
ture will gradually evaporate, and the vi
, tality be destroyed. We have never made
nor heard of experiments being made or
: this point, but from the examination of
kernel of corn, and the manner in which
: the soft, moist part is protected in thu
:, cob, and by the compactness Of the neigh
1 boring kernels, we have no doubt tina
corn on the cob will retain its vitaiit,
. much longer, probably as long again OF
the cob as it will off, This is supposition
;. we should be pleased to hear of expert
1t ments on the subject Yankee Farmer.