The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-05-02
seed Tests at the Ohio Agricultural RzDsr.
msnt Station.

AAAtAs oe-AAADAAs
Following are some notes on tests Of
seed corn made Rt the Ohio ARrieultu-
raj Experiment Station BY W. b. DeVOl.
Results in full will soon be published
IN bulletin by the station. In making
these tests, the conditions were kept as
near the same for all aS possible. In
some instances, however, very diReIent
results were obtained from samples
sent at different times, bus said to have
been taken from the same lot OF seed.
Ihe conditions for all were the best that
could be obtained by artificial means,
and better than Is secured ntne times in
ten n outdoor planting. Most OF the
tests were made for growers, from corn
which they themselves sent.
1t is to be regretted that 80 few facts
concerning the corn were furnished
with the samples. In many instances q
simple statement, TO the effect that .
sample OF corn had been sent for testing
was all, not even the name Of the Varl-
ETY. being given.
Statements should be made as far As
known, as to the date OF planting and
harvesting or riDening OF the corn; how
Kept, whether in crib, shock, house or
otherwise; number Of ears from which
the samples were taken, whether from
The butts, middle or tips Of ears; and any
other facts regarding the crop, the par
ticular variety, sc.
In all, ninety-One tests OF ROed corn
have been made this season. The aver
age that Rermtnated for all tests was
63.4 per cent. Although this is q very
small per cent. for corn, it tB much lar
ger than was predicted by many. LeAV-
ing out several samples that were known
to be unit for seed, the average II raised
to 6S.A DER cent,
IN all samples where 10 was known
from what part OF the ears they were ia
Ken, the termination was carefully
watched and compared. From this IL
was found that the kernels from the
butts Of the ears almost invariably pro-
duced the strongest radical, and those
from the middles, next.
OF the samples In which the kernels
were from the tips Of the ears, an aver
age Of 70.3 per cent. sprOuted; OF those
from the middleS Of she ears, only B8.a
per cent. sprOuted; those from the buts
did best, 1871 per cent. having sprOuted.
Forty of the tests were Of the Leaning"
which gave better results on the whole
than most OF the other varieties. OF
the forty tests an average Of 67.A Der
cent. sprOuted, varying from 0 In the
poorest sample 70 100 per cent. In the
best. The poorer Was from corn bar
vested before fully riDened and left In
the shock over winter, and one that
sprOuted 100 per cent. was from the
same crop, but husked and dried In the
fall. In the samples Of Leaning, those
from the tips Of the ears gave an aver
age OF 72.6 per cent. sprouted; those
from the middles an average Of 66.7 Der
cent. sprOuted; those from the butts, an
average Of 79.l per cent. sprOuted.
In the samples reported as taken from
the bin or crib, or having remained In
the shock over winter, an average Of
only 45.6 per cent. gpRouted; while on
the other hand, of that selected In the
fall and dried or kept from severe fHOeH-
ing, an average OF 80 per cent. gpHouted.
The corn that showed the greatest
vitality was sent TO the station by j.
Newton Berry, Hunter, o., Of 100 grains
tested, all sprOuted within ~ hours, and
only two produced weak radicals.
Other samples that sprouted nicely
were from ]. 8. Leaning, Wilmington,
o.; 8. H. Ellis, Sprtngb0rO, o.; Slater
Brown, Barton, o.; A. w. LiVinRstons
Sons, Columbus, o.; Chas. seArle, Berk-
shire, o.
A variety should not be condemned
simply from the fact that the seed from
last years crops was killed by severe
freezing or other causes.
Eighty-tWo Of the samples tested were
dent corn; three were flint, and six were
sweet corn. The flint varieties are un-
dOubtedly the most hardy.
WILLIAM r. LAZRNBY, Director.