The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-03-25
Agricultural Department
 CONDUCTED BY FULTON S. WHITE.

crops so often that 1 will not take this subject up now. but will notice the se- lection and management of seed corn.
 Selecting Seed.
 The type being fixed. that Is, where the grower has succeeded in securing a variety suited to his conditions and wishes to keep this variety pure, he will. in order to do so, have to be very care full in the selection of seed. Now, as stated before. the stalk must first be ex- amined, and if found perfect. then ex- anime the ear. This work should be done at time ahead of general gathering when the grains are hardening up past the dough state and are well matured, so that no after-growth will change their character or appearance. If the ear Is as long as the type required, If the rows are perfectly straight on the cob and are in proportion to the cob. then measure the ear at each end and see that the ear measures in circumference two-thirds at the tip end of the but or large end of the ear Such ears are all right. pro Vided they are set low on the stalk and hang off well from the stalk, instead of pointing up In the air. When such stalks and such ears are found, the ears should be marked by tying string or piece of ribbon on the ear and leaving them to dry or mature on the stalks. Just be-
 
 and gather all these marked ears, store them carefully away in crates where no mice or rats can get to them; or, better still tie in punches of twelve ears and hang up by the shuck. Never shell seed corn in the early winter, but always leave the corn on the cob, as the cob takes up the moisture. In the spring. at planting time make another careful inspection of the seed, for there may be some defects in some of the ears that were overlooked in the fall inspection. Plant only from ears having regular. straight rows and ears where the grains are grown we'll over each end of the cob completely cov- cred over at the tip end and nearly so at the butt end.
 How to Plant.
 The cob should be strained, as it were, to hold the grains. The spaces between the rows should be small and the grain deep, but not containing too much bran or chaff Shell of both ends and plant only from the middle of the cob. as in this way the grains will be uniform and the planter will drop an even number In each hill, thus securing an even stand. If planting white corn, plant only from ears with white cob. If planting yell low corn plant from ears having red cobs only.
 Never select seed from stalks having two ears, as 1t hardly ever happens that either ear Is perfect. More often such stalks are freaks and no effort at trying to breed a variety of corn that will be sure to produce two ears to the stalk was ever successful, or ever will be- It Is better to select well-developed ears from perfect stalks having one ear. While we may keep any variety pure and highly bred by this kind of selection yet we never have been able to breed and se lect corn so that all the ears that are produced from seed of any one select ear will be exactly alike as are peas or beans In the same hull.
 Quite great deal has been said re- gently about seed breeding plots. where select seed may be grown and selected This Is well enough. but the up-to-date. wide-awake farmer should grow his crops