Nevada County picayune., 1888-11-21
GOOD SEED-CORN.
Sensible Directions for Selecting. Curing
 and Sowing Seed.

Sensible Directions for Selecting, curing
 and Sowing Seed.
 When small grains, flax, clover and grass-seed are scattered by the hand ora machine over the surface of tho ground and covered with harrow an allow. ance is made for grains that are i'm. perfect and are not expected to pro. duce plants. In other words. more seeds are sown than are needed. If all of them germinated and produced plants they would stand too thick for insuring good crop. In planting corn. however. it is expected that every grain will germinate and produce stalk It Is difficult to thin out stalks of corn ii there are too many In hill. It is very slow and fatiguing work and 1t Is hard to pull up one stalk without disturbing the others. Reseeding, which is necessary in case there are not sufficient stalks in the hill, does not give good results. If the same kind of corn Is used for second as for the first seeding all the corn will not mature at the same time and there will be trouble In harvesting. If seed of quick maturing variety is used for re- seeding, u mixed lot of corn will be pro duoed, which will not bring the highes, price offered in the market.
 The losses resulting from planting unreliable soed-corn are large in soma part of the country nearly every year. The losses resulting from planting varieties not adapted to the locality are also large. In numerous instances corn crops have failed iu consequence of ob- taining seed from distance. Great pains should accordingly be taken in selecting the best specimens for supply. ing seed. Some careful farmers make their selections while the stalks are while others defer it till they come to husking. when they can see the ear as 1t is deprived of it's covering Ears should be selected that have small cobs and which have woll-formed kernels from butt to tip. Tho best developed, heaviest and most regular ears arc to be preferred to those that are abnor- mally large. In places whore the sea- sons are short it is best to choose those that matured in advance of others, so as to insure early ripcning.
 Corn intended for seed should not be exposed to frost from the time it was picked till it is planted. All the moist ure should be dried out of tho kernels, cob and husks. Ii should be placed where it will be iA no danger of absorb. ing more moisture. It should be stored where it will be out of the way of rats and mice. A drying house, such as professional soedsmen use. a hot-house or large smole-house is the best place in which to cure seed corn. If a farmer does not have one of these he can use a garret, carriage. house. or kitchen for drying his seed-corn. A part of the husks should be left on the cars for two reasons. Much moisture will be evap- orated through them, while they will be convenient Sor supporting the ears while they arc drying. The ears, oy neans of the husks attached to theln, can be fastened into traces that may be hung upon pins or nails. Two ears may be tied together and hung over wire or stout cord. 1t is better to stretch cord across room and tie the husss on each car over it. leaving a sufficient space between then 10 pre- vent them from touching. Supported [ In tEat way they will dry perfectly and 1 be secure from .orutn. -rhtcago 3sn.es.