Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1881-05-12
AGRICULTURE.

quality of seed that is planted. Seed
that was immature, or which was in
iured during or after the curing pro-
cess, was planted, and much of it fall
ed to germinate. After waiting seve-
raj DAYS for sprouts to appear above
ground, the farmer ascertains that
entire the seed has rotted, The
length of the growing season in
the Northern States is ordinarily re-
ouired to produce good crop of sound
coru. If planting is delayed ten or
twelve days after the usual time, the
prospect Is that the crop will be in
iured, if It is not entirely destroyed,
by an early frost,
If one il assured Of q 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 quick
", and deep In advance OF the weeds.
Cultivation will, of course, be neces-
sarry but it may with safety be delayed
till the young corn is sufficiently high
to mark the rows. If it is necessary 20
replant however, the weeds will be in
possession of the soil, not only before
the corn is up, but before it is planted.
To have clear field under such cir
cumstances will require almost con-
slant labor throughout the season. 1t
is difficult to fight weeds that have OBJ
tanned the start of cultivated crops.
In case part of the corn germinated
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
farmers to replant "mlssing hills"
with seed of some early variety, SO
that the two kinds may ripen at about
the same time. Securing uniform
period of ripening, however, does not
secure a uniform lot of Germ. liz will
be a mixed lot which will rank low in
the market.
The first essential &c success in corn
raising is good seed. If a farmer has
q good variety of corn, and il has at
tanned a fair growth and become ma
ture on the stalk, he can, by taking
ST fficient pains, secure reliable fer
planting. He should select only the
best ears for this purpose. He can
make much better selection when
the stalks are standing on the hill
where they grow than after they are
cut up and pot in shock, All but two
or TIN ee husks should be removed from
each ear, when they should be braid
ed together and hung in some airy
place to dry. An equally good plan
consists in tying the ears in pairs and
hanging the I'M over O wire suspended
In q chamber or some outbuilding,
where they will be protected from the
rain or snow.
If farmer mas not rlrst class va
rlety of corn or has not raised q good
crop en- account of q bad season, def
cient cultivation or poor soil, he should
procure mis- seed from some person
who has secured superior crop. 1t
is generally better to procure 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 this case of
small grains it is very difficult to Sc
lect individual kernels TO sow. Most
persons object to hand picking beans
and peas with view of selecting choice
specimens for planting. 1t Is compa-
ratively easy, however, to select not
only ears but the kernels of corn for
planting, as the amount of seed re-
quired for an acre is comparatively
small.