Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-03-28
AGRICULTURAL.
srrEor1ra AID 1870 ooRN.

SELECTING AND PLANTING CORN.
A correspondent of the Albany n. Y,
| CottI7tTU GeafLendn, who writes from
! Chester county, Penn, says IL is the Gus
| tom among farmers 10 bis neighborhood
TO shell off both ends before planting,
but for the LAST fifteen years he has plan
ted the corn from the entire ear, and he
SAYS the result has been quite satisfac-
/ tory. He has frequently heard II stated
! bv bis neighboring farmers that the
grains from the tips would not come to
perfection He tried an experiment, the
result Of which he gives as follows:
" | marked out three rows-planted
No. l with the seed from the points
I No. ., the mfddle-No. 3, the butts.
No. grew the largest stalks, finest ears
and was out in tassel and silk fret.
! No. 3 secoud-No. last. So you see
the middle came to maturity last.
That shows that We have been following
a bed practice IN not planting corn
from the whole ear, for in so doing 1
have increased my corn from two to
three inches in length on the same soil,
without extra manure. / have raised
100 bushels to the acre so; it makes the
finest corn.
We gave to our readers, earlier in the
season, a few observations relative to
Z" seed corn " drawn from our own ex-
perience. They were almost entirely the
reverse Of the above statement, which
without further explanation leaves us to
conjecture. We designated the middle
part Of the ear as most certain, being
the more perfect than grains at the butt
or point. We will examine the recon-
mendstiOn 50 widely at variance with
ou- own, and subject it to analysis. If
the "three rows" were all alike, and
there was no difference of soil, and they
were planted and worked equally and
at the same time, and any conclusion
could be arrived at from No growing
" the largest stalks, finest ears and was
out in tassel and silks first " no sane
man, with such evidences before his eyes,
would hesitate TO select the imperfect
and untitled grains at the point of the
ear for his seed corn, and ifhe could not
get enough of that sort, take the grains
at the butt, to exc out the required
quantity-the more perfect part Of the ear
being reserved for feed, either for man or
beast.
Let US look at this matter in another
aspect. Were the three rows alongside
Of each other, and contiguous to other
corn? If so, nothing is proved. The
pollen or fruetifyipg principle conveyed
with it, from the tsssel of the one being
likely to fall upon the silk of, and i'm
pregnate the other. It is because of
this tendency to mix and deteriorate into
miserable hybrid, that we advised the
planting of one and the best variety. If
different varities are planted, they should
be so far separated that the wind cannot
wait the pollen from ore to the other
The experience Of the correspondent of
the Country Gentleman does not stand to
reason, any more than that the smallest,
mssuest, most Indifferent and ill-grown
potatoes would make the best seed for
It is incontrovertible that the point Of the
ear is for the most part Unsound, being
from the nature Of the husk most exposed
to the weather, and rarely fills out. II
the theory were correct, those most
minute grains on the extreme point, in
which scarcely any of the vivifying prin-
ciple has ever existed, would he beyond
all price for seed, securing the largest
stalks, finest ears, and earliest in tasseI
and silk. We have thus taken the
trouble TO explain this matter, because
We have seen the proposition we have
examined, widely circulated, and believe
it capable Of doing much harm. The
soundest, most perfect grains of corr are
indisputably the best for seed, and they
are not to be found at the butt or point
of the ear, especially the former. We stin
claim that what Is known as tire gourd
seed " or long grain, is the best for plant
ing, as it will give the most shelled grain
to the ear.