Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-03-08
SPECIAL TRAIN is FILLED
About $50 Farmers Attend Leeturea
Given on Northwestern Train This
Afternoon by Ames Professor and
Student NJ. /. Mosher, tho Latter
a Senior at Iowa State College.

seed corn, given by Professor r. q.
Holden, head of the department or
agronomy, and M. L. Mosher, senior
in the agricultural department of Iowa
State College, Ames, at the union sta
ton.
The trairs Of three cars, two day
coaches nd private car. arrived In
the city from the east on schedule time
at 1925 o'clock. The train stopped at
the west end of the union station plat
form, and both were comfortably filed
by those who were awaiting it's arri-
val. Professor Holden spoke in the
forward car, while Mr.. Mos1er adj
dressed his audience in the other. Both
talks were identical, and were on the
now timely subject Of the selection and
testing Of seed corn. After explaining
why this was necessary the speakers
explained in detail, as follows. the
method employed with such good re-
suits at Ames:
After the seed ears have been care
fully selected as to character of both
ear and kernel each ear should be test
ed for termination. Testing each ear
separately seems at first too big task
to undertake but experience shows 1t
to be practicable. The following plan
has proven very satisfactory: The ears
are first laid out on a table or floor.
BY driving nails after each tenth ear
it will only be necessary to number
the first of each set of ten ears. When
this has been done remove one kernel
from near the butt, middle and tip of
the ear. Turn the ear over and remove
three kernels in like manner from the
opposite side, making six kernels in all,
thus securing q sample from the entire
ear. Place the six kernels at the end
of the ear from which they were talk
en-. Be careful that the kernels do not
get mixed with the kernels from the ear
lying next to it, Take shallow box
about 2x3 feet in size, put several inch
es of moist sand, dirt or sawdust in the
bottom, place over this a cloth which
has been ruled off into squares one and
one-half inches each way, numbers one,
two, three and 50 on. Place the kernels
from ear No. / in square No. 1, from ear
No. in square No 2 and so on with
all the ears. Always place the kernels,
germ side up as this makes it easier to
oCC JAoL INV SIA Wis CIiS VI
each kernel really is. Now place over
this cloth considerably larger than
the box, cover with one and one-half
to two inches of sand. earth or saw
dust, moisten well, keep in warm
place. and the kernels will terminate
In from three to five days. When suf-
ficient time has been allowed for the
kernels to terminate, remove the COW
err carefully to, avoid mfsplacing the
kernels. "a piece of light cheese cloth
placed on the kernels before the top
covering Is put on will prevent the kerr
nels from sticking to the CLOTH. Elk
anime the kernels in the first row of
the terminating box. For example, If
the kernels in squares Nos. 4, 9, 13 and
20 have failed to grow or Show weak
termination, ears Nos. 4, 8, Ii and 20
on the floor should be rejected. Do not
fail to remove the ears showing weak
termination. il the ground is cold and
the weather unfavorable in the spring
these kernels will rot, or If they grow,
at all, will produce weak plants.
The advantage of this method Of
testing over the old one of taking a
kernel from each of 100 ears and mix
ing them up before testing is easily
seen. BY this method If few kerr
neIs fail to terminate, the ears from
which they We're taken may be dis
carded, while by the old method they
would have to be retained even tho
the entire ear might be of no use for
seed. The value Of such test as the
one just described cannot be empha-
sized too strongly as 1T enables the
farmer to plant seed which he knows
will grow If other conditions are fa-
vorable.
Grading Seed Corn for the Planter.
After the seed ears have been Sc
lected from general appearance Of ear
and kernel and for their terminating
qualities they are ready to be graded
for the planter. The ears should first
be butted and tipped. This Is done
kernels and tip kernels produce less
than middle kernels and in the sec
ond place they are so irregular in size
and shape that the planter cannot drop
they evenly. Each ear should now be
shelled by itself as this gives an OPP
portunity to discard ears with broken
or injured kernels not discovered in
previous examinations. 1t also gives
an opportunity to grade the kernels
into large. medium and small sizes.
This will make 1t possible for the
planter to drop the required number
of kernels in each hill.
In grading; a large quantity of corn
frequently five or six grades can profit
ably be made. Even in a few bushels
of well selected corn we are likely to
find broad thin kernels, broad. thick
kernels, Ions, narrow shoe peg kernels,
and perhaps one or two other distinct
types. In Smelling one man can turn
the shelter and put the ears in, sec
ond man can catch each ear by itself
in large shallow pan IS it comes thru
and, after 9. little practice. can tell at
glance to which grade it belongA
Have box for each grade. While
these kernels differ widely in shape
they are all good. They possess strong
vitality, as shown by the termination
test and will in all probability produce
vigorous producing stalks Still
it would not be good practice to she'll
them together as the planter could not
successfully handle kernels of such
widely different types.
Before any considerable amount Of