The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-11-26
Farm Miscellany.
A L A FOR THE BOYS.
How Those on the Farm Can Make Some
Money.

l have a little subject outside of
gardening which ought to interest
your father. But if you will take
advantage of the suggestion it will
interest you as we'll. 1t is on the
line of saving seed corn. ooh,
fudge, that amt anything" Now
look here, boys, do not say that, for
there is very much more to it than
forty-nine out of fifty farmers be-
lieve. Just listen and I will prove
it to you. Seed corn should never
feel hard freezing. eff it is perfectly
dry, why not?" 1t is lever perfectly
dry when left where moisture and
cold can alternate. Every freeze,
no matter how dry the corn, will in
iure the germ a little. Under ordi-
nary seasons this injury will not
show in the growth of the corn, but
a cold, wet, backward spring it will
tell. "How do you know when every
such season effects all corn to a GER
tain extent?" Perfectly prepared
seed corr will not rot in the worst
season we ever had. 1 believed, just
as you do, until about fifteen years
ago. About that time I attended a
farmers institute and listened to a
lecture on seed corn by a man named
Lewis, from Dunn county, Wis. We
called him Hog Lewis. Well, Mr..
Lewis said very little seed corn was
good enough for him 80 plant. His
neighbors said he was d crank and
their oOrn was just as good as his
Considerable controversy arose and
finally Mr.. Lewis told them he could
prove that corn saved in the usual
manner-that is, traced up and hung
under Vt randas, sides of barns, orr
cribs, attics, etc.-wOuld not grow
equal to his. They accepted his chal-
lenge and large number of farmers
selected about fifty grains of G. IN
each and they put each lot in a re-
frigerator and kept moist at a low
temperature for forty days. The
corn was then examined. More than
so per cent. of the farmers corn had
practically rotted, while Mr.. Lewis
was in growing condition and did
grow and mature corn. The test
vas satisfactory TO all, and a positive
proof that wet and cold would not
destroy the germ of perfectly cured
and preserved seed corn. To pre-
serve this germ properly it should
be kept from hard freezing even after
it is shelled, and it seems as dry as
dry can be. The TACT is a very little
moisture remains in the chit, and
freezing affects it TO a certain tx
tent. The usual warm weather at
planting pushes the sprout, and we
think our oOrni is perfect, but subject
that corr to two weeks of cold freez-
ing rains and any farmer is out ten
times the value of perfect seed.
Now 1 will tell you how 1 made
800 out of that lecture of Hog Lewis.
The fall after his lecture corn wa
late in maturing. One daY l said to
myself | believe there will be u lor
of poor seed corn next spring, and il
Mr.. Lewis is right l will get in on
the suggestion and have some pir
money. So I said to Mrs. Craig,
Will you let me have that front
chamber for seed corn? "For seed
corn? Are you Crazy?" 1 then tx
panied the Lewis project and it.
chemical effects upon seed oorn
Finally 1 offered her one half Of the
pin money if she would give up the
room. This carried, but, boys,
mother will give you all you can
make. You won't have to divide
with her. Later on you will under
stand this better. Well, I put about
thirty five bushels of corr in that
room. When it got cold 1 put in Il
little stove and occasionally built II
fire. Next spring, sure enough, corr
was poor, and when the neighhors
found l had warranted seed corr
they came and paid me So per bushel,
l sent two bushels TO a man in Min
n~esOta, and the next year he bar.
gained in advance for one hundred
bushels. We put up a dry house
and made quite a speciality on war
ranted seed corn
1t may be a little late to take good
advantage of the above statement,
but you can take good oare of what
you have saved, and next year save
a few extra bushels. Now, I do not