The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-10-13
sELECTIN6-sEED CORN.
Prof. Holden, the Corn Expert tells
How and When to Select
Seed Corn,


Seed Corn.
Secretary George A. Wells of the Iowa
Grain Dealers association and Professor
P. G.. Holden, who gained fame with
| their "seed corn special last spring,
have not forgotten the gospel of the
corn and are now preaching it for next
year. The most valuable and timely
sermon is on "How and When to Save
Seed Corn" which is told in letter to
Secretary Wells by Professor Holden.
The letter swill be disseminated
throughout Iowa as Professor Holden
says the seed corn should be selected
prior to Oct. 15. The letter contains
valuable information for farmers.
PROFESSOR HoLDEN's VIEWS.
The letter to Secretary Wells is as
follows:
Replying to your questiong of Where
and how to select seed corn and where
and how to store it," will say that, ow-
ing 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 storing 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 Oct. 15, taking the
most mature ears. Tie eight or ten ears
| together in a string with binding twine,
or tie them in pairs by the husks, and
hang on some wires i'm an open shed
where the sun cannot shine on them,
but where the wind can have the best
possible opportunity to blow through
| the corn and dry it out thoroughly.
AS soon as dry and before any hard
freezes (about November to 81 store in
some place where there is good circula-
tion Of air and where it will be some
what protected from the severe freezes
during the months of November and De-
cember, such as the attic or furnace
room. If you are certain that the corn
has thoroughly dried out, it might re-
main where it was hung in the open
shed all winter, provided the sparrows
and the mice do not trouble it and there
would be no danger Of injury from. freez-
ing. But in slow, cold seasons like the
past and the present, or where the corn
was not hung up before October Is, the
only safe thing to do is to take the corn
down and place it where it is protected
as stated above.
| Ina slow season the corn contains
more moisture than is generally suppos-
ed. Last fall, on October %, 5000
pounds of corn were placed in crib
and have been weighed each week since.
1t ha IS now lost 1920 pounds, or n per
cent. 1t is impossible for such corn to
dry out sufficiently to prevent it's being
weakened or killed by the fall freezes.
SOME THINGS TO OBSERVE.
Do not store seed corn over the stable
as it will gather moisture.
Do not put freshly gathered seed corn
ina warm room. 1t will either sprout
or mold or both.
For the same reason do not leave it in
barrels and boxes or on the south porch
where the sun can shine on it.
During the first two weeks after the
seed corn is harvested, while it is green
and sappy, it should be dried under as
nearly normal conditions of temperature
as possible. After this the drying NAV
be hastened by placing in warm but
well ventilated place.
Do not take any chances with the
seed corn.
Save two or three times what you will
need for your own use. Your neighbor
may need it next spring.
/ Last spring thousands of farmers
planted weakened seed. This together
with the cold spring gave poor stands
and necessitated much replanting. Over
a thousand samples OF corn were sent to
the station to be tested last spring. The
tests show an average of IS per cent
that would not grow and 10 per. cent
more that gave weak termination and
was not fit to plant, leaving 6S per cent
of strong seed.
would again emphasize the import
ance of harvesting the seed corn not
later than October 10, and hanging
where there is the freest circulation Of
air with normal temperature.
4 III