The National tribune., 1893-03-23
What He Knows About seed-cor,.


John ID. Ziller. in paper read before She
Brown County Farmers Institute says; TIE
old afage that the proof of the pudding h -
chew the string will hold good on aeed-eorn,
and / have chewed the seed-corn string for
quite number of years, having tried a numbex
OF leading varieties and seen quite o few
varieties raised in different parts of the County
and State. and feel somewhat qualified TO tell
what / know about seed corn. There 10 no
school where the farmer can better educats his
mind on the fine quality Of seed-eorn than ss
the great corn shows. where he can see 2OS en-
tries from all the different parts Of the United
States, like there was at the New Era Exposition
q year ago. Also at our State fair and at the
great Kansas City fair last FALL where every
known variety is brought into competition,
side by side. and where the best farmers from
the three great corn growing States of Illinois.
Missouri. and Nebraska were taken for judges.
One can fairly see which is the best corn, and
also compare different qualities.
Now, | claim that there is more difference IN
seed corn than there is in the finest thorough
bred cattle and the miserable scrub cattle on
the range, and far more profit in the former.
90 through the County or the State, examine
the quality and see the average, and one will
be astonished at the result / have examined
the corn in over so fields in Brown County Lass
Fall. Often. as / was riding along the road
and saw fine piece of corn, have got from
the same. Corn looks 70 per cent. better than
it is if the ears are long. i have sometimes
found long, slim, pointed ears with from eight
to twelve rows OF corn to the ear with short
round kernels on 1t of hinty nature, which
no account farmer would use for feed. Very
often the longest you could find would be
about eight or 10 inches long, and of very
inferior quality, and lots of fields that would
not make over % bushels per acre. Now, The
question arises, Can this be improved or can
we do something that will increase the quality
and number of bushels to the acreP If so,
then our time is well spent and we will sll he
benefited. But these criticisms are all easy
enough one says. ANY one can criticise, but
it is not every one that can give remedy I
can give mine. / believe there Is no corn that
will give the farmer or feeder more profit than
the Rsnkin's Mammoth Yellow Dent that took
the $5O0-priZe at the New Era Exposition nc
st. Joe. OF all the corn / have ever tried, 10
surpssses anything in quality and size. This
corn turned oEe-half choice seed-cOrn raised
last Summer, planted as late as June 8. have
no nse for an of corn with less than II rows
of corn, while lots of this has 20 and % rows Of
extra quality. and carries it's length of even
ness from one end to the other, and the sans
number of rows of corn at the tip end az at
the butt, with a square, deep kernel, ears filed
out to the point, and no space between the
kernels. There are many farmers who, when
they do see a fine article OF seed corn, tell you
they have just as good at home. They ara
honest. and do really believe they have. Bus
my fellow-farmer. the way to do is to put then
side by side and mark the difference. Accord
ing to the Assessors returns, March I, 1892,
there were to be planted in Brown County
SO 191 acres of corn.
Now, suppose this acreage could be increased
five bushels per acre, what would be the re-
suit? 495,955 bushels of corn. At rs cents
per bushel it would bring $I2I 93675. Now,
every candid farmer that has not given this
any thought is requested to look to il this
Spring and see if he can't gain the extra five
bushels. Then We will feel our article has not
been in vain.
Now, brother farmers, don't understand me
TO advise you to send away off to buy some
high priced seed-corn. No, no, emphatically
no. Don't buy any corn without first seeinga
sample of it on the ear. and then 90 and see
the corn. Next, if it is impossible for you 70
go and see the corn, buy it in the ear. 10
should always be in the ear then you can sec
what you are getting. Never buy less than
five bushels because you buy 3 bushel and
plant it alongside of another piece of scrub
corn and by the time you got enough to plant
your crop it is so badly mixed your corn is
ruined or worthless. always, in trying = new
variety, get enough to plant q whole piece.
/ never believe in exOrbitaDt prices. My motto
Is live and let live. No man can select seed
corn and keep it over Winter and select corn
that is frst-class for less than 81 per bushel
and get paid for time and trouble. OF course
he could pick out big ears and butt and tip ID
and shell it. It looks fine, but if you compare
it with strictly frst-class corn it is nowhere.
This is why the cheap, shelled, worthless cora
is palmed off on the farmer and he is always
in the result, and lots of times,
too. at $3.50 to 81 per bushel. here warn the
farmers to examine your seed-cOrn just the
same as you would An animal to head your
herd"
Food for Dairy Cows.
At the gathering of the Vermont Associs-
ton, on the subject of Food for the Dairy
Cow" Mr.. Pierce said, among other things:
"In regard to the choice of foods for the
richness of milk about which so much has been
said we would take commOnsense view, and
considering the fact that men are not trying TO
change the nature of the cow by feed that I'M
der whatever system of feeding the Jersey cow
is the Jersey COW STILL with her characteristics,
and the same with all other breeds and that
the dsiryman in practice dispeses of the cow
that makes poor milk. Considering that the
process of milk and-muscle making are so
nearly alike in the animal function, we should
select those foods that tend to growth and
health. That the nature of the food affects the
quality of the butter there can be no doubt;
and on this point can do no better than quote
from a paper by Prof. Ladd of the Experiment
Station, Geneva, N. Y, as follows: For yield
of butter, LIST, linseed meal; I'd, cotton-seed
meal; Sd, cornmeal; 4th, wheat bran; 9th,
oats; 9Th, hay. For grain or texture, 1st. corn
meal; I'd. cotton-seed meal; Sd. wheat bran
ith, oats; 5th, Hnseed meal; 9th, hay. Firm
ness, 1st, cotton-seed meal I'd, bran Sd, corn
meal; 4th, oats; 5th, hay; 9th, linseed NEAL
"The best butter therefore, should be made
by feeding a combination of the above, or
similar grain foods. together with good fodder
crops which are of exceeding value in giving
body and bulk to the ration. al essential poins
in the food of all ruminants."
Grating Wax.
A correspondent of the Country Gentleman
gives the following:
Melt one pound of common resin over
Iuiet fire, add ounce of beef tallow, stirring
it well. Take it from the fire and let il cool .
little; then stir in q tablespoonful of spirits
If turpeutine, and after that seven ounces OF
alcohol Then put the vessel (aDy tin or iron
vessel will answer to make it i'm over the FIRE,
stirring constantly until the compound begins
20 boil Then remove and the wax is ready for
Use.
"This preparation is liquid, is applied with .
hin wooden paddle. Immediately haFdens, 10
.ir and water tight, never cracks and never
Ioftena"