The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-11-06
Save Your Seed Corn Now .

One great evil in seeding time is, that
when all IS ready for planting, and the
farmer goes to his crib TO pick out 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 10 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
ly supposed TO be,
When corn ripens 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-
sons Of 1871 and 1879 have been re-
markablo 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 il more or less soft and shrivcled
corr in the field. We may expect com.
plants next season, if seed be taken for
planting from such cribs promiscuously.
1t 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. 1t il perfectly safe TO
plant it three years old, if properly !
saved, but, it does not terminate az
readily az new seed.
1t is better, however, TINT seed be
saved every year. A good time to do
this is while husking. Whenever you
come across an exceptionally good car,
instead Of husking, break it with the
husk remaining. In unloading, these
unhuskGd cars may he 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
smoke. Served in this way they
not only terminate surely but quickly,
and thereby much vexation is saved.
Flint, or, IA il is called, Yankee corn,
to dry first in the grain. With
our western dent varieties, the reverse
is the case. These lei drying at
cob hence, the grain Of the first
is plump and round, and that of the
after is long and indentcd. Hence al
40, flint corn may be cut and shocked
much greener, comparatively, than the
western varieties. For this reason, the
iced of the flint varieties is surer to l
grow when huskCd from the shock than a
.ho dent varieties, for the rGasOn that, n
no husk being thinner and the grain a
lOre shallow, it is not so easily injured e
the germ as the dent. =
In saving seed corn, select the upper r
II if there be two good onos on the fc
ak. If both be not good, reject them. pl
ne large err il better than two small y
Ies Mt all events save only from stalks
wing the most perfect ears. A field
corn planted three feet eight inches ga
,ch way, three stalks to the hill, each I'll
'aring one large ear would produce u n
OPP TINT would surprise even some of OF
n premium Corn growers. II is true 81
it costs some time and labor to &c
select and save secd-corn /; 81
ut, if saved in n conscientious manner, a
nd you have II surplus, you need have ~
o scruples in asking your more indo- n
mt neighbor II dollar and a half IL bush a
for the seed. II may cost You one is
ollm II bushel to save it properly and L
no one choose to buy it, your seed n
ill be all right another year. n
One more thing is worthy of mention :
A relation to seed corn. When once, 9
y care and attention, you have secured I
variety that ripons uniformly and we'll,