Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-10-20
HARVESTING CORN.
IOWA FARMERS LOSE MANY MIL
LIONS EACH YEAR BY USING
IMPROPER SEED.
Hints for the Proper Selecting, Har
vestins, Testing and Storing Of Seed
corn-Letter From Ames AaricuI-
tural College.

Corn-Letter From Ames Aoricul-
tural College.
The gathering and storing of seed
corn is subject that Is of especial
interest to the Iowa corn growers at
the present time of year. There is no
greater or better authority on corn
growing than Professor P. G.. Holden,
professor of agronomy at the Iowa
Agricultural school, and the following
directions laid down by him will prove
valuable to Wapello county farmers:
Most all will agree that the proper
method of gathering and storing seed
corn is to do it in the fall, but how and
in what time of the fall to do this Is
an important matter.
There are many methods of gather.
ing and storing. but experiments con-
Quoted at the experiment station of
the Iowa State college have proven
the following:
Seed corn should be allowed to
thoroughly mature on the stalk before
harvesting. There are two reasons
for this:
First-seed that is thoroughly ma
tured will have stronger vitality than
immature seed.
Second-In the field on the stalk Is
natures way and Is the ideal place to
dry corn.
1t is very difficult matter to dry
corn that has been gathered before
maturity in such way as to prevent
the entire or partial destruction of it's
termination qualities.
| On the stalk the most favorable con.
ditions usually prevail for the drying
of corn. AS the season advances the
car hangs downward, the husks open
up readily and the corn then begins to
dry rapidly because the air has free
access The husk protects the ear
| from rain.
The kernels from ears that have
been allowed to hang on the stalk late
in the fall will contain considerable
more plant food than those from ears
that are gathered before maturity.
! In selecting corn for seed, the ma.
ture of the stalk as well as that Of
the ear must be considered. There
are two practical ways in which this
object may be attained One Of them
is to have a box on the side of the
wagon and in this place the desirable
ears while husking. Another is to
pass through the field with sack or
basket before the huslking is begun
and gather only the desirable ears.
The first method is practiced by some
but 1T Is not advisable as 1t takes con-
siderable time from the husking. which
is the work then in hand and tEeE sssisI b
son who does the husking is too often
a man who could not be depended
upon to select seed.
| The second method is the better.
One can do better work in selecting
seed when he puts his mind on that
alone. When one is going through the
field for that purpose he will be more
likely to take note Of the good and poor
| features of stalks than he will when
husking. This is important that one
i should note the stalk from which the
seed ear is taken. A desirable stalk
is large near the ground and tapers
gradually to the tassel. should be free
A from diseases, such as smut and the
like, and should bear good ear or
ears at convenient height. A thick.
stout stalk Is able to Withstand exc
tremes of weather for a longer period
and with less injury than a slender
one, and>is less liable to blow down
and decay on the ground
4 Storing of Seed Corn.
There are many different methods
of storing seed corn. The one thing
i that seems to be most essential is
thorough ventilation.
Experiments conducted at this sta.
ton have given indications Of the fol-
4 lowing:
4 First-It is not advisable to harvest
immature corn and place it in warm
room as there is danger that the corn
will begin to terminate as result Of
4 the moisture it contains.
4 Second-Corn intended for seed
should be allowed to thoroughly ma
ture on the stalk before husking.
Third-The best results are obtained
when seed corn is stored in dry and
thoroughly ventilated place.
! Fourth-Cold does not injure the VI
tally of the corn when it is thoroughly
J, dried and kept dry, but on the other
, hand, If allowed to gather moisture
; freezing will reduce and may entirely
destroy its vitality
: Fifth-Seed corn should not be
stored over stable as 1t will gather
moisture.
Sixth-It is unwise to store seed
corn In barrels or boxes as 1t will
gather moisture
Corn often contains great deal Of
moisture, even though 1t appears to be
thoroughly dry. This is especially
true during the fall and early winter
months.
The ideal way of storing seed corn
is to hang it up either by the husks
or by tying the ears together with
binder Irvine.
, Iowa has 100000 bushels Of corn
annually. Statistics show that on an
average Of all the state only about
two-thirds of stand is secured each
year. This means that of the 9,000-
600 acres nearly 100000 produce
!, nothing and this is an annual loss Of
i $3O,000,000 to the Iowa farmers. A
J large part of this loss Is due to poor
seed. BY a little more care on the
part of the farmer in the selecting,
harvesting storing and tectipo If hts