The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-27
CHANGE SEED
is GOOD PLAN
Agricultural College Issues
Seed Corn Bulletin
SELECTION is IMPORTANT T
Certain Sections Wi Produce
Certain Kinds Best

Saltwater, o. T. Feb 26.-The expert
mental station has issued a bulletin on
! choosing seed corn. 1t says in part:
Many of those who grow corn are firm
in the opinion that it is necessary to
change seed" frequently. They say that
their own variety or strain OF corn has
run out and that they must buy Wig
orous seed from some other locality Is
this necessary? Must growers of corn
every few years buy high-priced seed in
order TO maintain their yields? It seems
that the answer to these questions is an
other question: How did the man who
sells the new and vigorous seed keep it
from running out while he was growing
it? Doesn't the whole proposition appear
absurd?
1t is true that the corn which has been
grown may be giving diminishing yields of
inferior quality and that purchased seed
corn may yield more and of much bet
ter quality. But the difference is not due
to any unavoidable tendency to deteriora-
tion inherent in the corn plant. 1t is
largely the result of differences in the
manner of selecting the seed If the seed
corn has been collected for several years
by gathering it up with a scoop shovel
from the leavings in the corn crib in the
spring and if the seed which is purchased
was grown by man who practiced prop
er methods of seed selection, the differ
ence is accounted for. 1t is in the nature
of the man and not in that of the corn
plant that the trouble lies.
Oklahoma is justly famed for the wheat
which its farms produce. yet in 1899. the
only year for which figures are available,
the value of the corn crop of the territory
was only $500, 600 less than that of the
wheat crop. the yield being a little less
than % bushels per acre.
There are few localities where corn is
grown that do not now possess types of
corn adapted TO the conditions existing
there. A few farmers grow better corn
and more or less careful in the selection
of their seed corn and it is from their
cribs that seed should now be selected for
next seasons crop. II possible the selec-
-tiOn should be made from corn grown on
similar soil and in a location similar to
that on which it is to be grown. for corn
becomes. under proper selection, adapted
to it's environment. A sort of corn that
Yields abundantly on rich bottom land
will be out of place on drier uplands. Corn
that has become adapted to upland CON
ditions will not be at its best on rich bot
tom lands
Having found desirable type, pick out
enough seed corn for your next crop. Take
your time to il for each bushel of that
seed corn ought to bring from $50 to 400
bushels of corn next fall and it is worth
spending time upon.
First find an ear that may he used as
standard by which the others may be
measured. 1t should not be the largest
ear in the crib but it should have deep,
wedge-shaped gernels compactly laid on
in uniform rows. medium size cob, and
its butt and tip well filled. The proportion
of length of ear to circumference should
be about four to three: for bottom land,
the ear may be 10 inches land and 9i2
inches in circumference: it may he 9 by
or by for thinner soils The grains
on the ear should he uniform i'm size.
color, and shape. thus showing that the
variety characteristics are well fixed. If
the corn is white the cob should be white;
If yellow. the cob should he red.
With this ear as a guide. pick out about
twice as much corn as will be needed for
seed for next seasons crop and take it
home for study and selection as you find
time.