Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-03-26
HOW TO PLANT CORN
Prof. p. q. Holden, Of Ames Col
lege Issues Circular.
DISCUSSES NATTER THOROUGHLY

DISCUSSES MATTER THOROUGHLY
Uses Scientific and Practical Reason.
ing to Sustain His Statements.
Says Corn Should be Tested Prior
to Planting-EspeciaIIy This Year.
p. G. Holden, professor of the de-
partment of agronomy in the Ames ag-
ricultural college, has issued circu-
lar regarding the planting of seed corn
which will be of interest and doubt
less of benefit to farmers who read
and follow its directions. Mr. Holden
discusses the matter from both a sci
entifc and practical standpoint and
brings out some good ideas which may
be overlooked by the average farm er,
and doubtless are by many. Tis circu-
lar, Which is in answer to anumber of
letters which have been received re.
Gently at the college, is as follows:
'Ames, Ia, February 2S, 1903.
1SNPiy ms W liiV Iuduy
which are being received at the col.
lege daily regarding seed corn, will
say that in my opinion the following
points are among the most important
to be considered:
that we should depend on home
grown seed for the main part of the
crop and not upon imported seed
tSnpnnG not oh
ears of corn for seed which have kerr
nels OF as nearly uniform size and
shape as possible, otherwise it will be
impossible to secure an even stand
with any planter.
Third. Do not fail to test the
planter thoroughly with the seed you
intend to use, and stay with it until it
drops regularly the required number
OF kernels in each hill.
Fourth. Test the vitality of ger.
minating power of all corn intended
for seed. This is especially impor
tant this year
Fifth. In case any seed corn is
purchased from seedsmen insist on
having it shipped to you in the ear.
either in crates or in barrels.
''l.xth. All of this work, that is, the
testing of the vitality, the sorting,
Smelling and the testing of the planter,
should be done now and the sooner
the better. If put off until the hurry
OF spring work is upon us there is
danger that it will not be done
No farmer can afford to depend on
| imported seed corn for the main part
OF his crop. Seed corn imported from
distance and especially from a diff
ferent latitude seldom gives satisfac-
tory results the first two or three
| years, even though the seed may be
the very best. which often times is
not the case.
! 1T is well known that most of the
seed corn put on the market by seeds.
men is bought of farmers in crib lots
shelled, screened and sacked ready for
sale, little or no attention being paid
to the selection, in fact it is generally
handled with the scoop shovel and is
known as the scoop shovel method
of selection
The chances are that the farmer
has in his own crib better corn than
that which he purchases from seeds
men at four or five times the market
price. And then he runs the addition
al risk that it will not mature in his
| locality.
IF it were simply a matter of losing
the price of the bushel of imported
seed corn it would not be serious, but
when we consider that bushel OF
seed ought to produce 400 bushels of
corn worth from $3.50 to S160 the Sc
! rious nature of the question is very
| apparent.
If for any reason. my own corn
was not satisfactory for seed I would
certainly not send away for seed corn
/ but purchase of some one in the vicin-
| ity whose corn had given good results
during the past three or four years.
/ 1T will be an excellent plan, how,
| ever, for two or more persons in a
neighborhood to secure small
amount of some of the standard va
! riatiee of this and of other states, and
give them a good trial. In this it is
ptJDaD4e that varieties will be found
which, after they have become accli
mated, will prove of considerable val
lie to the community.
| would recommend the PURCHASING
i of the seed corn only in the ear This
i enables the purchaser to see exactly
what he is getting and if it is no,
| satisfactory he can return it. 1t also
/ enables him to throw out any unde
| sirable ears. The scotsman cannot
| improve the corn by Smelling it, Sc
there is no good excuse for him to re
fuse to ship it to you in the ear.
In order to secure good stand II
is necessary to exercise great care III
selecting and sorting the seed. All
ears with very large or very small
kernels should be thrown out no mat
ter how perfect they are in other re
/ speets. The same is true of all ears
with very thick or very thin kernels
or with very short or long narrow
grains and the irregular butt and tip
kernels should be shelled off. In 9th
er words. no planter will give an even
stand unless the kernels are of uni