The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-10-12
T0|SE[ECT SEEDC0RN,
Prof. Holden of Ames Gives
Valuable Advice.
SHOULD BE DONE AT ONCE,
Earliest Paintings Should Give Best
Seed. Which Must Be Carefully
Stored Through Winter.

Seed. Which Must Be Carefully
Stored Through Winter.
Every body will recall Secretary
Georle A. Wells of the Iowa Grain
Deale g. association and Prot p. G.
Holden of Ames and their seed corn
special" last spring. A few editors
took occasion TO poke fun at these men
who pretended to teach the farmers,
1bnt the result. of the season have
proven that the farmers who scorned
the teachings OF Prof. Holden are reap
ing the results in nubbins and ha,,t
crops, while Iowa's bumper crop OF corn
is largely due to the efforts Of these
two men in behalf Of good seed.
Prof Holden is still preaching the
gospel of good corn The most valuable
and timely sermon is on "Row and
When to Save Seed Corn which is
told in letter to Secretary Wells bv
Professor Holden. The letter is as
follows
. 1GOPAyl w yOuA NuOoG1OaS VI
Where and how to select seed corn
and where and how to store it," will
say that, owing to the cold season and
the extreme slowness with which corn
has matured this fall, the greatest
possible care should be exercised by
every farmer in the selecting and stor-
ing of his seed corn.
The most essential thing is to have
: the seed thoroughly dry before the
bitter cold weather OF November.
One of the safest methods is to select
the seed corn from the earliest planted
field, not later than October IS. taking
the most mature ears. Tie eight or ten
ears together in string With binding
Irvine. or tie them in pairs by the
husks and hang on some wires in an
open shed where the sun cannot chine
on them, but where the wind can have
the best possible opportunity to blow
through the corn and dry it out thor
oughly.
As coon 10 dry and before any hard
freezes (about November to 81 store
in some place where there is good cir
culstion of air and where it will be
somewhat protected from the severe
breezes during the months Of Novem-
Der and December such as the attic or
the furnace room. II you are certain
that the corn has thoroughly dried out,
it might remain where it was hung in
the open shed all winter, provided the
sparrows and the mice do not trouble
81 it and there would be no danger of in
jury from freezing But in slow, cold
seasons like the past and the present.
or where the corn was not hung up be-
fore October Is, the only safe thing to
do is to take the corn down and place
it where..it is protected as stated above
In slow season the corn contains
much more moisture than is generally
supposed, Last fall on October 25
5000 pounds of corn were placed in d
crib and has been weiged every week
since. 1t has now lost $50 pounds, OF
81 per cent. 1t is impossible for such
corn to dry out sufficiently to prevent
its being weakened or killed by the
freezes,
Do not store seed corn over the
stable as it will gather moisture.
Do not put freshly gathered SEED
corn in warm room 1t will either
sprout or mold Or both.
For the same reason do not leave i
in barrels and boxes or on the south
pogch where.the sun can shine on it,
During the first two weeks after the
seed. corn is harvested. while it i
green and sappy, it should be dried un
der As nearly normal conditions a
possible. After this the drying ma.
be hastened by placing in warm Blu
well Ventilated place.
Do not take any chances with thu
seed corn.
Save two or three times what yo
will need for your own use. You
neighbor may need it next spring.
Last spring thousands of farmer
planted weakened seed. This togethe
with theIcold spring gave poor stand
and necessitated much replanting
Over a thousand samples of corn wer
sent to the station to be tested las
spring. The tests showed an averag
of Is per cent that would not grow an
10 per cent more that gave wea
termination and was not tit to plant
leaving '63..perIcent of strong seed.
would again emphasize the impor,
ance Of harvesting the seed corn no
later than October Is. and hangin
where there is the freest circulation c
air with nominal temperature.
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