Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-03-25
Selecting Corn for Planting.

A subscriber in Stow, Mass, asks us to
tell him from which part of the ear the best
kernels are obtained for planting, as some
tell him to select the top kernels, Others
those from the butt, while still others rec
ommend planting all the kernels on the ear.
1t is well known that many careful New
England farmers have made a practice of
rejecting the small kernels from the tip of
the ears when Smelling seed corn for plant
ing. Some have been particular TO reject
the crooked, ill-shaDed butt kernels also.
We know of no one who has attempted to
investigate the question Systematically, ex-
ceptiDg DR.. Sturtevant, Director of the
New York experiment Station. He told us
in personal conversation, several years ago,
that a certain eccentric farmer. who had
gained a reputation for raising good seed
corn, made point for planting all the ker-
nels that grew on the ear, and claimed il
necessary 10 do SO To keep variety from
changing its character. Within the past few
Y ears, DIR. Sturtevant has made several ex-
periments for the purpose of testing the rel
alive value of corn from different parts of
the ear, and the results are published IN the
New York Station reports for the years lS-
81 and 1888. In the first report named is an
account OF ln experiment in planting a strip
OF land, dropping the corn lengthwise OF
the rows, In such a manner that the kernels
would MAINTAIN the same relative position
to each other that they held in the ear; that
u to say, the butt kernels were AL at ono
end of the rows, the middle kernels coming
next in order, and the zap kernels at the op-
pusiie end of the rows. IL was thought
tnst, in this method of arrangememe ent, any
variation in the character OF the product
would be noticeable TO the eye during the
growth OF the corn but little, IL any diff..r-
ence would be discerned. The butt and tip
kerns!s germinated and grew just about in
the same proportion as the kernels from the
middle of the cob.
In the accurate calculations made from
the harvested product, the following surpris-
ing results were shown:
/. The tip kernels were the most prolific
Of good corn.
2. The butt kernels were more prolific OF
good corn than the central kernels.
3. The tip kernels bore longer ears than
the other kernels the butt kernels the next,
and the central kernels the shortest. This
fast was apparent to the sight ss the differ
ent lots lay on tia ground ails- hrsking.
II
were distinctly heavier iaan those from tae
central kernels.
3. The butr kernels furnished more un-
merchantable corn than did the central ker-
nels, and the central kernels more than did
the top kernels.
The same year another plot was planted,
one-haf with perfect seed from selected
seed ears, the other half with good kernels
from very inferior looking ears, the yield in
both experiments being so near uniform that
no conclusions could be drawn in favor of
the selected ears over those which were
crooked and twisted. From experiments
cont -naed in 1893, it seems reasonable to
conclude that seed corn is eqsally good
from either portion of the ear, certainly that
the tip kernels are fully equal to other ker-
pels for planting. In corn ears that are well
capped over at the tip end, the kernels hav-
ing more room, are less compressed, and
take different shape from those on the md
die OF the ear; (; and it is quite probable that
there is less difference In the actual weight
of the two forms than one might suppose
from a casual glance. Tip kernels that are
imperfect, or not halt filled up with starchy
material, would certainly start into life " ith
less apparent vigor than kernels at were
plump and full. Yet when the roots get
hold of the soil, and the plant become. in
dependent OF the parent kernel, which will
be in a very few days after germinating, it
may soon catch up with, or even outgrow,
its neighbor from plump seed. The conclu.
sion 10 be drawn from these experiments is,
that it is certainly safe to plant ali ths sound
kernels on an ear.-New York Independ-
ent.