Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-03-15

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matter OF great importance. Exsmi.
nation OF the germ in the kernels is
fsiriy satisfactory, 1t will often clearly
snow That the corn will not grow. But
placing kernels from n considerable
number OF ears in moderately favor.
able conditions for growth is, by far. the
best thing to do. 1t shoald be kept in
mind that 1t is not enough that there
should be termination under the best
conditions. Many seeds. which will
grow with favoring conditions are
worthless in field culture. Where there
Is good corn of the crop of 1881 it will
probably give fairly satisfactory seed
but there is little Of this in store. espe.
clally in such condition as is desirable.
II the home supply be worthless,
prompt action should be taken. 1t is
not SIMPLY matter of getting corn
which will grow, bat of getting good
seed OF variety adapted to the region
in which it is grown"
} 5. Leaning, of Ohio, expresses the
opinion that nineteen twentioths of
last years corn crop" throughout his
state, Indiana aud Illinois Is UNSAFE
FOR sEEpr0n account Of frozen germs.
tie says further
by testing several lots of what was
considered well maturad corn, | find
thu. even that is greatly injured AL
most any corn of 1881 will grow. The
corn of that year is all maturei we'll.
One thing must be observed it should
be soaked till it pumps out in order 10
make 1t come up "a quick rs new
corn. Farmers should hereafter se-
cure seed corn in late autumn by GO
ing into the fell securing the best
ears and hanging them up in the dry
by the husks, to cure out before
freezing"
An Indiana correspondent of the
Prairie Farmer makes statement
similar to the above aud advises TEST
INC SEED c RN by the following simple
method:
Select 100 kernels unfortunately
from seed ears and place between two
wColen cloths, which must be kept
damp and in the or iinary tempera.
tuie of n living room; or the kernels
may be placed in glass bottle and
covered with water, and hung in the
window near the fire, or if convenient
place the kernels in shallow box OF
cath. In a few days, if the seeds are
good, the sprouts will appear aud
then the terminated kernels can be
counted and the per cent that will de-
veope is readily ascertained, and
plans made acco. dinghy"
SELECTING SEED CORN.
Mr.. Jonathan Tslcott, of Rome, n.
Y, says good many things. Among
the late items from his pen is an article
in the Country Gentleman on seed corn
To the surprise of a good many, the
assertion was made some weeks since
by f. Lewis S;urtevant that the tin
kernels of corn were the most valuable
to plact, to which Mr. Talcott answers
as follows,
| have larmed fifty years since | be-
gan for myself, and during that time
think there has not been a year that
some experiment has not been tried
either in grain, grass or vegetables, AZ
also in cattle, sheep, horses, swine and
fowls. While boy, WAS taught by
my grandfather to select ears or seec
we'll filled at the tip, and never to dis
card any tip or butt kernels VIXEN shell
ing the corn for planting. His theory
was that it required the grains from the
whole ear to raise the best crop of corn
in the greatest perfection. A neighbor
of his said that the small kernels at tn
tip of the ear would not grow, conse-
quently there would be loss in the
growing crop. This, roy grandfather
answered him, was not so, but the crop
would be all the better for having been
planted with the rest. | determined
to test the case, and taking some quite
small tip kernels, | planted them, and
found to my satisfaction that they
would grow, and nicely, too. | have
ever since practiced this. In some
instances, the tip kernels are upper,
fect, or injured by birds; also, the buttf
may become water.soaked before they
are secured in the fail, so that some
may not grow. In such cases it would
no doubt be best to reject such when
discovered in time.