The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-12-27
FARM AND GARDEN.
CARING FOR SEED CORN.
One of the Most Important Tasks the
Farmer Has to Perform.

One of the Most Important Tasks the
Farmer Has to Perform.
The Importance of having good,
strong seed corn is not fully realized
by many of our farmers. Many seem
to think if it will only grow that it is
all that is necessary. And of course it
must grow to amount to anything, but
to do its best it must not simply grow,
but it must grow vigorously, throw
out good strong roots and blades.
To get seed corn of the right kind
depends upon two things, the selection
and the care it has after it is selected.
In regard to the best time to save
the seed corn there is a difference Of
practice among good farmers. Some
go into the field and pick the largest
and best looking ears as soon as the
corn is ripe. Others prefer to leave
the selecting of the seed till they are
huslling. Each plan has its advan-
tages. Those who pick from the field
can select the earliest ripening ears,
and in that way, it is claimed, the corn
will come to ripen earlier each year.
But those who select while huslSing
have a much better opportunity
to select the most perfect ears,
unless the one picking from
the field picks a large quantity and
then selects, and that makes very
very much more work than to select
while husking. But whichever way it
is selected it must be done before we
have hard freezing And after it is
selected those who would have the
best and strongest seed must do one
of two things Either dry it thoroughly
before freezing weather, or put it
where it won't freeze. You mind 1
say dry thoroughly. Now, it will not
do to depend upon the atmosphere to
do the drying. Some of our very dry
falls 1T will do, but it is not safe to
depend upon it. so that some kind of
artificial drying must be done. 1t
doesn't make much difference what
the method of drying is only so it is
thorough. Not only the kernels of the
corn must be dried, but the cob must
have the moisture all taken out of it.
Experiments have been made with
seed corn that had been lliln-dried,
partially dried and not dried at all
They were all planted at the same
time, in the same kind of soil All
came up but at the end of three weeks
the kiln-dried was twice as large as
that not dried at all, and a good deal
larger than that partially dried. And
it kept ahead all the way through.
Another advantage of lliln-drying is,
the corn will not rot in the ground,
even though the weather is wet
and cold after planting. This one
item of insurance against loss by
rotting seed will more than pay all the
cost of liln-drying. | have said above
that the seed must be dried or kept
from freezing. l know some very sue
cessful farmers who always put their
seed corn in the cellar before any
severe freezing weather comes. And
where one has plenty of cellar room
this is an excellent and safe plan. In
the drying, one is not always sure
when 1T is dry enough to be safe, but
in the cellar it is safe anyway. The
plan is to put tier of shelves along
the side SO the corn will not lie more
than two ears deep, and that will pre-
vent any possibility of molding, and
one is sure to take out as good seed as
he puts in. 1t may be put in the cell
lar with safety as fast as huslaed. 1t
does not matter when it goes in if it
is done before it is all frozen. What
ever plan you adopt for saving, don't
ever plant without testing your seed.
Don't test it by putting it in a pan I'M
der the stove, but put it outdoors,
where the conditions will be as un-
favorable as they are sometimes when
planted.-S. Favill, in Prairie Farmer.