American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-10-30

The yield of corn is very greatly re-
duced in many fields every season by
| the poor quality of seed that is planted.
Seed that was immature. or which was
injured during or after the curing
process, was planted, and much OF it
failed to terminate. After waiting
several days for sprouts to appear above
ground, the farmer ascertains that the
seed has rotted. 1t may not be too
late to replant and obtain Il good crop.
but the chances are against it. The
entire length of the growing season in
the Northern States is ordinarily re-
CURED to produce a good crop of sound
corn. If planting is delayed ten or
twelve DAYS after the usual time, the
prospect is that the crop will be injured,
if it is not entirely destroyed, by an early
frost.
If one is assured of a good crop from
corn that is planted late, the trouble of
cultivation is very greatly increased.
When good seed is planted on land
freshly prepared it will come up quickly,
and keep in advance of the weeds.
Cultivation will, of course, be necessary,
but it may with safety be delayed till
the young corn is sufficiently high to
mark the rows. If it is necessary to
replant, however, the weeds will be in
pOSScSSIoIl Oi Itlc SOIL iloI onIf DtlOI Z
Che corn is up, but before it is planted.
To have Il clear field under such cir
cumstances will require almost constant
labor throug bout the season. 1t is diff
cult to fight weeds that have obtained
the start of cultivated crops.
In case part of the corn terminates
and part does not, the situation is not
much better. Considerable work is
required to replant seed, and as it will
not come up till after that first planted
has made considerable growth, extra
work will be required in cultivation
during the entire season. Whatever be
the character of the season. the corn
will not mature at the same time, and
the chances are that the portion last
planted will not ripen before early frosts
occur. 1t is the practice of some farm
ers to replant ''missing hills" with seed
OF some early variety, so that the two
kinds may ripen ut about the same
time. Securing a uniform period of
ripening. however, does not secure a
uniform lot of corn. 1t will be a mixed
lot which will rank low in the market.
The first essential to success in corn
raising is good seed. If a farmer has q
good variety of corn, and it has attained
a fair growth and become mature on
the stalk, he can, by taking sufficient
pains, secure reliable seed for planting
He should select only the best ears for
this purpose. He can make 4 much
better selection when the stalks are
standing on the hill where they grow
than after they are cut up and put in
shock. All but two or three husks
should be removed from each ear,
when they should be braided together
and hung in some airy place to dry. An
equally good plan consists in tying the
ears in pairs and hanging them over
wire suspended in chamber or some
outbuilding, where they will be protect
ed from the rain or snow.
If farmer has not first-class varie-
ty of corn or has not raised good crop
on account of bad season, deficient
cultivation or poor soil, he should pro-
cure his seed from some person who has
secured a superior crop. 1t is general
ly better to procurd Il supply in the fall
than in the spring, as the price will be
likely to be lower. No crop is more
dependent on the quality of the seed
than corn. In the case of small grains
it is very difficult to select individual
kernels to sow. Most persons object to
manipulating beans and peas with n
view of selecting choice specimens for
planting. 1t is comparatively easy,
however, to select not only ears but the
kernels of corn for planting, as the
amount of seed required for an acre is
comparatively small Chicago Times.