Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-01-09
SAVING SEED CORN.
Select IL from talks Bearing the Lang
est Number of Ears

est Number OF Ears.
III Hike produces like" the selection
OF seed from stalks having two or more
ears will result in giving stalks that
will have two or more ears. This will
increase the yield of general crop very
greatly.
A stalk Of corn invariably bears a
dormant ear or shook at every Joint
from near the ground up to the ear, and
also has a groove at every such ,oint,
and these dormant ears increase in size
and development and tho grooves in
crease in depth from near to the ground
up to the ear. What does this teach?
Is it not an unmistakable indication
that the corn plant was designed and
qualified to bear fully developed ear
at every such joint as referred to? 1t
has already been demonstrated by act
ual experiment that several ears may
be grown on each stalk by a judicious
selection of seed and giving best cult
ure and care.
If the seed for the crop is grown with
wide spaces between stalks, one stalk
in place, and given good care and
culture the tendency to produce several
ears will be increased each season, and
If this course is continued for a few
years only, the habit will be estab-
lished to grow several ears to the stalk,
and then the crop will be increased two
and threefold.
The top ears, selected for seed, should
have large and deep grains Large
grains have more corn and less bran, in
proportion, than small grains. Deer
grains may have still greater advan-
tage over shallow grains. OF different
ears of corn there is one-third to one
half difference in length of grain; if
one third then there will be a gain OF
one-third in the yield of crop, by the
selections Of ears with deep grains.
But If there can not be found suffl
cient number of stalks having two Oh
more ears, then the next best selection
that can be made is the largest ears
having deep and large grains. Suppose
that by selection and culture the ears
could be increased in size ono ounce
only. This would give an Increased
yield Of crop at the rate of ten and one
half bushels per acre; If the ears were
increased in size two ounces, this
would give twenty-one bushels increase
in yield Of corn; but if the size could bt
increased four ounces to the ear, and /
can be done, then that would give al
increase of general crop of forty-tw,
bushels per acre.
The capacity of the corn plant, ant
the ability of mother earth" are we
unknown. The rich stores of fertilit,
in the surface soil. and deep down il
the earth, and in ''that great reservoi
of fertility, the air." have never beer
fully called upon by the cultivator t.
yield up their inexhaustible stores.
Shallow cultivation of soil, that is
shallow blowing and the want of oc
casional sub-soil blowing, and careles
and insufficient cultivation of crops an,
a neglect to adopt special methods il
producing the seed of all crops, has re
suited in depletion of soil, meage
yields of all farm crops, and genera
lack in all agricultural results through
out the entire country.
improvement should be the constan
aim in all agricultural work, and
this is kept in view great results will
be realized.-E. S. Teagarden, in Farm
Field and Stockman.