The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-10-17
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS or INTEPEsT TO AGRl-
cULTURlsTS.
Some Up-to-Date Hints About CuIti-
walton Of the soil and Yields
fbsreoi Hortioniture, Eitleuiture and
gloriculture.

l4on mas been given 10 the character
Of the seed corn; little examination
has been made Of the proportion OF
corn TO cob. Of the purity Of color, the
space between rows the filling out OF
ends, the length. circumference or
shape. OF OF any Of the important
points that go to make up q good ear
Of corn. Il has been found by seed
corn growers that the length. circum-
ference or shape OF the ear can be
varied at will by selection. and there
Is every reason TO believe that these
characteristics can be 30 fixed that
practically al OF the ears In a field
grown from pedigreed. uniform seed
corn viii be OF approximately uniform
size and shaps rurther. IL has been
found that the number OF rows Of ker-
nels on the cob, the film. out OF the
ends. or other characteristics, can be
improved h ilanting from seed haF
Ing these charg cteristics. II has been
demonstrated, that II Is not good prae-
tiee to plant mall kernels Of grain OF
any sort. Therefore. It IS not good
policy 70 plant the Zip kernels As the
butt kernels usually vary greatly 81
size from the kernels on the rest Of the
ear, Il Is a good plan 70 shell on and
discard both the tips and butts OF the
ears selected for seed. Again, as the
butts Of the ears mature first and the
tips last. Il Is probable that these parts
have been fertilized By pollen Of an
early or late variety from some neigh
boring field; 50 by shelling on the
butts and tips, part Of the danger ot
mixed seed can be avoided. In general,
shell on the small and the extremely
large kernels. 30 that the portion OF
the ear remaining for seed has kernels
OF approximately uniform size With
most varieties Of corn. about one-half
inch Of butt kernels and one inch Of
tiD kernels should usually be shelled
on.
Nitaltty.-Owlng to a late spring or
early frosts. Il frequently happens hat
the seed corn does not fully mature.
In THE condition the ear Is likely to
mold and decay. thus destroying the
vitality Of the grain. AS the majority
of farmers In Illinois allow the seed
corn 70 remain In the general crib
during the winter exposed 10 the sud
den and violent changes In tempera-
ture, such corn. fun OF moisture. viii
freeze, and consequently the life Of the
germ may be weakened or destroyed.
The seed corn in central Illinois. Sc
lected from the crop Of 1888. was so
much injured IN this way that the
university tests of the vitality Of seed
corn sent In by farmers from this sec
tion Of the state. gave an average Of
only le per cent terminating Such
seed was not ~ TO plant. but as no
provision had been made by the farm
era for drying and properly preserving
seed corn. and as this was the only
seed available. Il was planted with a
resultant poor stand, light crop. and
loss q profits.
Immature seed should not be planted
for several reasons. First. such kerr
uels DO not contain as much plant food
As those which are fully developed.
and thus do not provide as much
nourishment for the young plants
which, consequently. do not get so
vigorous aud healthy q start rs those
from mature seeds. Second. the sx-
eessive moisture IN the immature seeds
renders them liable to begin to ger
inmate In the fal. IN the crib. aud thus
use up . part Of their strength. or n
sudden drop In temperature may freeze
the corn and destroy the life OF the
seed.
Seed corn should test 80 per cent VI
tality; l. e.. Of the ceed planted in the
seed bed 95 per cent should grow. II
the seed does not give this test Of
vitality. a poor stand will be the re-
suit Nor is Il wise for tho farmer to
try to make up for poor seed by plant
ng a greater number Of grains. be-
cause Of seeds which give a i5w test
OF vitality many Of those which do
grow lack strength and vigor and viii
consequently produce weak plants,
Furthermore. an uneven stand win
surely result. some iills being over
crowded frequently with weak plantsl
and other hills being left with per-
haps no plants at all because Of the
unequal distribution OF the seed that
win germinate. Seed Of low vitality
will Inevitably tend to the production
OF poor crop. Il Is important. there
fore. that the farmer make a test OF
the vitality In order that be may
know the quality Of bis seed. A most
simple. effective. and practical meth
Cd OF testing the vitality OF seed corn
Is as follows. Fill common dinner
plates nearly level ful. Of fine sand.
pour water over the sand until Il Is
more than saturated. shake gently to
level the sane. allow It to settle. and
then drain on the surplus water Push
80 kernels into the sand IN each plate.
turn a smaller plate over the sand 70
prevent too rapid evaporation OF
moisture. and set both in warm
place Keep the sand moist and In
seven days all Of the healthy kernels
should spr0ut. By counting the kerr
neis sprouted. the per cent sof good
seed can easily be computed.