Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-03-26

before the sorting is done to test and
determine whether it is fit for seed
purposes or not This can best be
done by selecting from the pile say
fifty or one hundred ears of corn and
removing two or three kernels from
each and testing them. If the germin-
alton test shows "a per cent or above
the seed will certainly be in good con-
dition.
1t is important that each ear of
corn be shelled by itself so that it can
be examined more closely before it
goes in with the rest of the corn. If
the kernels are shrunken at the tips
too pointed. discolored or the germ is
small, indicating low feeding value,
the whole ear should be discarded. II,
on the other hand, the ears of corn are
all shelled together it will be impossi-
BILE to select out all the weak kernels.
After the corn has been sorted,
shelled and thoroughly tested in the
planter it should be put in sacks (about
bushel in each sack), and hung up
in a dry place in the loft, or where
there thorough circulation of air, and
where it will be free from mice, but
d
About the twentieth of April thor
ough termination test should be made.
There are many methods of doing this
and any of them will be satisfactory.
The important thing is not fail to make
the test. About one hundred kernels
should be taken from each sack by
running the hand down into the corn
so as to get fair average sample.
one OF the simplest methods of
testing seed corn, and one which re-
quires little attention is to fold up
twenty-five or fifty kernels of the corn
to be tested in piece of wet paper
and put IN a box There is nothing
better thana cigar box for this purpose.
The paper should be thoroughly wet
and several thicknesses used so that it
will not dry out. 1t will be well to
place moistened pieces Of paper in the
bottom of the box and again on top
of the samples to hold the moisture.
In order to make thorough test it
| will be we'll to prepare at least five or
six samples like the one described
above. They should all be put in the
same box and string tied around it
to hold the cover down to prevent the
samples of corn from drying out At
the end OF three days it will be we'll
to examine the corn and if the papers
are getting dry they can be moistened
At the end of five sslvs the final ex-
animation should be made.
Il know of no better way to sort
and prepare the seed corn than to
place fifty or one hundred ears on
some boards or tables with the tips
all pointing one way. Select an ear
that most nearly represents the type
| you prefer. With this ear in your left
hand go over all the ears on the board
and with the right hand push out those
ears which show too great variation
! from The type in size, length, shape,
I roughness. color. size and shape of
! kernels, etc. Now gather the few
remaining ears to~ether and with a
knife remove three or four kernels
from each ear and place in front Of
| each ear with a germ or chit side up.
/ Now go over these kernels carefully
/ for here is where We have failed most
in the past We have studied the ears
but paid little attention to the kernels.
First discard those ears which have
Kernels unusually broad, thick
4 long, also which are very narrow.
thick or short. This is absolutely nee
/ essary before we can expect any plan
/ ter to drop uniform number OF kern
4 els per hill. Discard all ears with
4 kernels which are shrivelled, or are too
pointed, indicating low vitality, and
4 poor feeding value. The butts and tips
should now be shelled off and the ears
shelled as described above. But this
Is not all This corn is not ready for
4 the planter until it has been picked
over by hand. removing the broken,
rotten, dlscolored, irregular, weak and
! chatfy grains. This seems like great
/ deal OF expense but no farmer can at
ford to do less than this.
When we remember that it is pos
sible for bushel of seed corn to re-
turn us 100 bushels next harvest, we
can readily see the folly OF neglecting
this work. What is day, or even
two days spent on this bushel Of seed
corn and especially at this season of
! the year,"
WILL MEET EMDI oyEs