Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-03-29
Testing Seed Corn.

The severe and unprecedented cold in
November to very considerable extent
killed the germ in corn where seed was
not properly cared for, by having been
we'll cured and the cob entirely dried out.
This may have been done by artificial
heat-by.. heat from fire or stove-or having
we'll m stured and assorted corn dried we'll
and stored in loft before the cold set in.
Farmers should test their corn for seed by
spronting, which is attended with but
little labor or time My plan l will give
for the benefit of those wishing to prove
| their corn: Procure two sods. fit in a
basin Or box, the lower one with the
grass side up the other on top with grass
down, so that the grass sides come close
together; then 60 to the crib or shocks
and take out promiscuously certain num-
Der of grains from, say, dozen. ears; tight
ly press the kernals downward in the
lower sod, then cover up with the top sod
just after you have thoroughly scalded
with boiling water both the soda and the
roots and earth sticking to them. Place
the vessel containing the seed fear the
stove or fire, and let it rem4in four or five
days, being careful that the sods are all the
time kept warm. Then take out and ex-
anime, and all the grains that have sound
germs will be found to have shot forth
sprouts from one to three inches long;
those having been injured will not have
started, but will have assumed dark APP.
pearance. tested my seed last week with
the following ..result: From thirty-six
grains taken from six ears, three from the
inside and three from the outside of the
heap in loft ofSseveral hundred bushels
every grain had sp -outed, and forty eight
grains taken in like manner-four from
do &c ;pht he
standing in the field, three-fourths, OF
thirty six grains, had sprouted; but the
sprouts were shorter and looked much
weaker than those taken from the loft.
| The twelve rem aiming grains had the dark
or blush appearance spoken OF, which was
| attributable, in my opinion, to having
| been frosted and injured thereby. 1t
behooves all judicious and good farmers
| to look well to this and know to a Ger
tainty before planting time that their seed
corn will all grow. A failure in this one
particular always prove disasterous to the
crop. would sooner pay three prices fol
/ first rate seed than plant doubtful Deed al
| any price There are FIVE ways in which
the careful farmer may insure his mex
J years seed corn to grew. l. Take it off the
stalk early in September, strip off all bu
enough of the husk to hang up in a dry
shed or loft. 2. Husk out early in Octo
Der and dry out by artificial heat before
hard freezing sets in. 8. Snap or jerk, OF
the ears and store away in the dry when
sufficiently ripe, and let it remain un
husked till planting time. 4. The l'z,
farmers way, or justletting the seed re
main on the stalk unshocked till after the
hard freezing has passed, the husk in these
two instances forming perfect proven
tative from any humidity or frosts of win
/ ter. g.. Burying the corn after it is wei
ripened precisely as you would potatoes
from winter. The aborigines of this
country buried their corn in hillocks
for the next seasons planting, thus Sc
curing the germs from the effects of hare
freezing.-[C Correspondence Practice
Farmer.