Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-09-10
:farmer's 9epartment.
SELECTION OF SEED CORN.

The following letter, published in the New
England Farmer twenty yearsago, and late
ly republished in the Comtry Gentleman,
goes far to settle point which We have Of
ten urged, with regard to selection Of seed
corn. It was written by Mr.. Baden, then
living, as the date shows, near Nottingham,
Prince Georges county; and was directed
to Hon. H. L. Ellsworth, at that time Com
missioner of Patents.
sir:-I received yours of the l4th, ma
king inquiry respecting the "Maryland
Corn" which you understood [ had raised.
I have the pleasure to say that I have
brought this corn to its high state of per-
fection by carefully selecting the best seed
in the field for long course of years, having
a special reference to those stalks which pro-
duced the most years. When the corn was
husked I then made a re-selection, taking
only that which appeared sound and fully
ripe, having regard to the deepest and best
color, as we'll as to the size of the cob. In
the spring, before shelling the corn, ex-
amined it again, and selected that which
was the best in all respects. In shelling the
corn, I omitted to take the irregular kernels
at both the large and small ends. | have
carefully followed this mode of selecting
seed corn for tventy or tacenty-threr years,
and still continue to do so. When l first
commenced, it was with common kind of
corn, for there was none other in this part
of the country. At first I was troubled to
find stalks with even t,ro good ears on them,
perhaps one good ear and one small one, or
one good ear and a 'nubbin.' 1t was several
years before I could discover much bereft
resulting from my efforts however, at length
the quality and quantity began to improve,
and the improvement was then very rapid
At present 1 do not pretend to lay up any
seed without it comes from stalks which bear
four, fre or sir ears. I have seen stalks
bearing eight ears. One of nay neighbors
informed me that he had single stalk with
ten perfect ears on it, and that he intended
to send it to the Museum at Baltimore. In
addition to the number of ears, and of course
the great increase in quantity unshelled, it
may be mentioned that it yields much more
than common corn when shelled. Some
gentlemen, in whom I have full confidence,
informed me they shelled barrel Go bush
els of ears) of my kind of corn, which she'll
ed corn measured little more than six bush
els. The common kind of corn will mea-
sure about five bushels only. 1 believe l
raise double or nearly so to VIII | could
with any othercorn I have ever seen. I gen.
orally plant my corn about the first of May,
and place the hills FIVE feet apart each way,
and have two stalks in hill. suppose |
have now in my corn house, fifty, and per-
haps more stalks with the corn on them as
it grew in the field, and none with less than
four, and some six or seven ears on them.
"Early last spring, l let George Law, Esq,
of Baltimore City, have some of this seed
corn he sent it to his friend in Illinois with
instruction show to manage it. A few weeks
since he informed me that the yield Was one
hundred and twenty bushels on an acre;
that there was no corn in Illinois like it,
and that it produced more fodder than any
other kind = x Il I believe
1 have answered most of your enquiries. I
hope have not exaggerated-I have no mo-
tive for doing so. raise but little corn to
sell, as tobacco is my principal crop"
THos. S. BADEN.