The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-10-31
Save Your Seed Coin Now.

One great evil in seeding time is, that
when all is ready for planting, and the
farmer goes to his crib to pick ont his
seed, he suddenly becomes suspicious
that it will not grow. Nevertheless,
the field cannot wait the best is selec-
ted and planted, and he trusts to luck. |
This class of farmers generally blame |
the cold season, worms, gophers, mice, |
birds and many other things that are re-
ally more innocent than they are usual
~ supposed to be.
When corn npens upon the stalk per-
fectly, before the advent of frosty
nights, and is thereafter placed in mar
row cribs, secure from wet, it will GER
tainly grow, if properly planted in the
proper season; but this perfect ripen-
ing does not usually occur. The sea-
sens of 1871 and 1872 have been re-
markable for the perfect ripening of
corn throughout the west. Conse-
quently there have been no complaints
about corn rotting in the ground when
properly planted. The present season,
a vast amount of the corn raised in the
west is imperfectly ripened. That is,
there is more or less soft and shriveled
corn in the field. We may expect COM
plants next season, if seed be taken for
planting from such cribs promiscuously.
It would be far better that two-year-old
seed were planted next year, rather than
trust to such seed. Indeed, we know
many good trainers who keep one-year-
old seed always on hand for just such
emergencies. It is perfectly safe to
plant it three years old, if properly
saved, but, it does not terminate as
readily as new seed.
It is better, however, that seed be
saved every year. A good time to do
this is while husking. Whenever you
come across an exceptionally good ear,
instead of husking, break it with the
husk remaining. In unloading, these
unhusked ears may be thrown aside,
and at any convenient time, tied to-
gether and hung across poles in some
dry, airy situation or, better, braid
them into strings, and hang them in the
smoke-house and dry them over a mod
crate smoke. Served in this way they
not only terminate surely but quickly,
and thereby much vexatiOn is saved.
Flint, or, as it is called, Yankee corn,
begins to dry first in the grain. With
our western dent varieties, the reverse
| is the case. These commence drying at
the cob hence, the grain of the first
is plump and round, and that of the
latter is long and indented. Hence al
so, flint corn may be cut and shocked
much greener, comparatively, than the
| western varieties. For this reason, the
seed of the flint varieties is suFer to
grow when husked from the shock than
the dent varieties, for the reason that,
the husk being thinner and the grain
more shallow, it is not so easily injured
| in the germ as the dent.
In saving seed corn, select the upper
ear if there be two good ones on the
stalk. If both be not good, reject them.
! One large ear is better than two small
ones at all events save only from stalks
having the most perfect ears. A field
of corn planted three feet eight inches
each way, three stalks to the hill, each
bearing one large ear would produce q
crop that would surprise even some OF
our premium corn growers. It is true
that it costs some time and labor to
carefully select and save seed-corn
but, if saved IN a conscientious manner,
and you have a surplus, you need have
no scruples in asking your more indo
lent neighbor dollar and a half bush
ell for the seed. It may cost you one
dollar a busheI to save it properly and
if no one choose to buy it, your see6
will be all right another year.
One more thing is worthy of mentor
in relation to seed-corn. When once
by care and attention, you have secured
a variety that ripens uniformly and we'll
do not be in haste to change your seed
Experiment as much as you please, bu
hold fast to that which is good uutil YOU
get better Western RIErGL.