The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-10-13
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 the 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 terminated and produced
plants they would stand too thick for
insuring a good crop. In planting corn,
however, it is expected that every
grain will terminate and produce a
stalk 1t is difficult to thin out stalks
of corn if there are too many in hill.
1t is very slow and fatiguing work and
it 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 a
quick maturing variety is used for re-
seeding, mixed lot Of corn will be pro-
duced, which will not bring the highest
price offered in the market.
The losses resulting from planting
unreliable seed-corn are large in some
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 in consequence of OBJ
tanning seed from a 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
still on the hills where they grew,
while others defer it till they come to
huslling, when they can see the ear as
it is deprived of its covering. Ears
should be selected that have small cobs
and which have well-formed kernels
from butt to tip. The best developed,
heaviest and most regular ears are to
be preferred to those that are abnor-
mally large. In places where the sea-
sons are short it is best to choose those
that matured in advance of others, so
as to insure early ripening.
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 the kernels,
cob and husks. 1t should be placed
where it will be in no danger of absorb
ing more moisture. 1t should be stored
where it will be out of the way of rats
and mice. A drying house, such as
professional seedsmen use, a hot-house
or a large smoke-house is the best place
in which TO cure seed corn. If a farmer
does not have one of these he can use
garnet, carriage house, or kitchen for
drying his seed-corn. A part of the
husks should be left on the ears for two
reasons. Much moisture will be evap-
GRATED through them, while they will
be convenient for supporting the ears
while they are drying. The ears, by
means of the hu5ks attached to them,
can be fastened into traces that may be
hung upon pins or nails. Two ears
may be tied together and hung over a
wire or stout cord. 1t is better to
stretch cord across room and tic
the husls on each ear over it, leaving
Il sufficient space between them to pre-.
vent them from touching. Supported
in that way they will dry perfectly and
be secure from Yermin. Chicago Times.