Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-09-05
Saving Seed Corn.

1t is as wol-settled fact that grains ma
be improved by selection and care, as tina
stock may be improved by breeding by tt
same means. And among the variou
grains we raise there is none in which th
selection is as easy as in that of corn. |
takes little time. and little work, som,
intelligence and some care, but it will pa,
in good res, Its for all these. First of al
the scotsman must have well defined tn
object he wishes to accomplish, whethe
for early corn, for heavy yield of later crol
with heavier fodder, or the greatest growth
In our own case we have worked for al
early maturing of the crop to escape the
late frost in spring or the early frost in th,
fall, as portion of the farm which needs
the pillow the oftenest. is low frosty land
Again we have sought heavy caring il
proportion to the growth of fodder, ant
have succeeded tolerably well, so the re
mark is often made. Why, your corn i!
good deal better than thought before
went into it; it is very heavily cared
This we have secured, we think, by the
husks begin to turn we 60 through The lielt
locking fer the best of the early ripenng
stalks, and if we find stalk with two
good ears on it we are sure to pick the besl
ear on that stalk. In this way the earlies,
ripening variety is secured with the Sec
ondary condition of II good yield. The
early ripening may a so be helped on by
giving il an early start in the spring, by
which we mean, the furnishing of fertile
ing material in condition to be absorbed
by the young plant rs soon as it starts W
grow. To do this, two ways are open to
the farmer. One is to spread the manure
on the land in the early fall, then plow in
the spring and plant on the inverted sod I;
the other. to apply superphosphate either
in the hill or broadcast at The time of plant
ing, or preparing the land. BY the first
method the valuable portions of the ma
nure are washed out of the mass and down
into the soil where it is held in readine, 8
for the use of the young plant as soon as
it is needed. By the second method, the
readily. souable phosphate supplies food
till the roots are able 10 appropriate tho
nutrition from the manure. We feel GER
tain that heavier caring has been secured
by our drill planting in the place of the
old hill system. BY drill planting, each
stalk gets the greatest possible amount of
sun, air, and fertility, each stalk stands on
separately and alone instead of beir e
with four or more standing on a hand s
breadth of land; it is as easily or more
easily cultivated, and we are strongly in
favor OF this system of planting. The time
for selection of seed is now nearly here,
and we think will pay you to follow this
course of saving seed. and not to wait till
the field is so nearly ripe as to make the
selection much less difficult because so
many more ears are ripe, Many we know
select their seed while doing The husking,
taking the largest and best ears only. By
SO doing "A larger and later sort will be
secured and Il heavier growth of stalks,
which will also be seconded by Iibel al
application Of manures, and his course
may be protitably followed Ivy those so
located as to be in little danger of flosts
Another point in favor of early corn, is
the getting it of the land to follow the
crop with winter wheat, which by early
sowing diminishes the danger OF winter
killing, and we like 10 follow corn with
winter wheat and seeding down with tha,
crop. On the whoe-early corn for us,
and then as large crop as we al coax
TO grow.