Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-04-11
Seed Corn Tests.


once more we refer to the question
of testing seed corn. Do not trus. to
appearances. The Importance of
starting in with good seed is too great
to allow of anything but absolute Ger
talnty of-lts terminating power We
have a coNple of instances where trial
has been made, and the results show
that those who rely upon their corn
for seed without careful testing are
likely to be disappointed, in the most
veXatious manner. The first case we
will mention is that of Mr.. j. Sex
ton, foreman of the Department of
Experimental Horticulture at Iowa
Agricultural College. Not long ago
he announced that he would test
samples sent him by farmers in differ
ent parts of the state. At the time
he first reported he had experimental
with fifteen samples from parties
living III Storey county. He found
that without exception the seed gather
ed after TIE severe freezing of the II,
Is and 16 of November, failed To grow
in a way to Indicate it safe to rely
upon it, even in the the most favora
bic fpring. The root portion Of the
embryo sprouted, but the stem was
very weak in all cases where it start
ed. Professor Budd says, in the
Register, that all the specimens
gathered prior to the freeze-even
when IN the first stages of glazing
and carefully dried, germinated in
that perfect vigorous way that indi-
Gates safe seed for the most unfavor
able seasons. One of the cases
illustrates the safety of drying seed
corn b. fire heat. Mr.. William
Bcadle gathered seed early and hung
1t III the smokehouse, in which lie
placed small stove. Neglecting at
one time to look at the fire, he found
such heat as TO prevent his entering,
| giving rise TO the impression that the
Sm0ke-house was on fire. He was
fearful that the excessive heat had
utterl y spoiled his seed. He brought
for trial fifty kernels taken from the
same number Of ears. Forty nine
oar OF the fifty kernels grew in per
feet way.
Professor Budd therefore advises
testing at oHce all seed on hand or
which may be purchased Placed
in pan of earth Dy the kitchen fire,
with a wooden cloth over the earth to
MAINTAIN even condition of heat and
moisture, the good seed will soon
throw up en-growing and vigorous
stems. II unsafe to plant, the growth
will be uneven and many of the ker
nels will only develop the roots. and
that will look yellow and feeble. :"
Our next instance is that Of Mr.. s.
r. Thompson, Superintendent Of the
Nebraska College farm. He reports,
in the Nebraska Farmer, having test
ed upwards of 90 different samples,
among which he found but four
worth planting.
One of the four kinds grew in Buff
alo county, one in Saunders and two
in Lancaster OF sixteen kinds which
showed from none to rs per cent. Of
living grains, two were from Buffalo
county, one from Nemaha, one from
Seward, and twelve from various
parts of Lancaster county. The best
was not, as is sometimes assumed,
uniformly small, early corn, though
one kind was; but two were medium
large yellow dent, and the other
medium sized white dent, with slight
ly hinty characteristics.
Among those tried and proven unfit
for seed were found both large.
medium and small yellow dent, and
also white, two kinds of sweet corn
and one of pop corn. Having been
asked if there was not something
about the place where the corn was
tested which tended to interfere with
the corn sprouting, he replies that he
thinks not. The sail was kept moist,
and at a uniform temperature OF
about 65 degrees Fahrenheit. In one
case three kinds of corn were planted
in three rows across the box, the rows
not more than one inch apart, The
middle row sprouted every grain,
| while in enc Of the other rows but
FIVE grains grew, and in the other not
one. It is not possible that there
could have been this difference in the
soil of rows so short distance apart.
Mr.. Thompson closes with the sugges-
ton:
do not be satisfied with taking
three or four ears at random and try
ing them. Try one grain from each
| of a hundred or more cars, and put in
| the earth definite number in straight
rows. so that you can count them. To
obtain ballSIacGOry FtouIeS III bpIOu6
ing corn in boxes, in the house, where
fires are not kept up all night, a good
plan is to set the box containing the
corn On a table before retiring, and
cover it with thick cloth-a blanket
is excellent. The object is to retain
the heat of the day and prevent too
severe chilling in cold nights.
These last tests, be il remembered.
were made with Nebraska corn. Last
year Nebraska seed grew well enough
| but the varieties were so late that re-
suits in Iowa and the State East
where it. was quiet largely tried were
entirely unsatisfactory.
There is no doubt an ample supply
| of good seed corn in nearly every
part of the country, but it will not do
this year to plant the best il, un-
less it has been tested. The expense
| of seed corn at most is but light, for
| it takes trife amount to plant an
acre A dollar more or less per bushel
for seed that one knows viii grow is
nothing compared to the loss that is
sure TO follow the planting of inferior