The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1906-04-07
AGRICULTURAL NEWS
A Little Information That Should Be Interesting
to the Farmer, Well as Many Others.

anu practlcal way OF securing good corn
for the following year. 1t should be
planted early enough to insure its ripen--
| ing. The weak and barren stalks could
! easily be detassled so that only the
most vigorous pollen would fertilize the
silks Even if the land received no
special cultivation and if the crop re-
ceived no extra care the grower would
know where to secure his best seed ears
and would be more likely to harvest them
, at the proper time than he would ii he
were depending on the occasional good
ears obtained during the husking of his
entire crop.
ADJUSTING THE PLANTER.
after the termination test. the next
| step is preparing the corn for the plan
ter. First, by removing the mixed kerr
nels. In yellow varieties it can be done
better before Shciling and in white varie-
ties after Smelling. rs the mixed kernels
often do not slow in white corn until
the corn has been shelled: second. by
butting and tipping the ears of corn to
. insHre the planter dropping the correct
, number of kernels in each hill
ITO be certain of getting the drop ad-
justed properly twenty or thirty ears
4
grades of large, medium and small kerr
nels. The planter can then be tried with
, each grade and the proper plates select
ed for each grade. If the proper plates
are not mt hand, then those nearest may
be elaborated to do the work as desired
This is very essential and it should be
done before the rush of spring work be-
, gins. \ small outlay for additional
,lntiS, al, IL h.,
/ difference between II COOL crop and a
, POOR one. The planter must do work
properly. After the planter il tested
and it is known what grades are wanted.
the seed corn should he carefully Shcllcl,
put into SACKS and properly labeled.
, "The planter can be adjusted TO drop
the different grades in uniform manner
if the grades are kept separate and the
proper planter plate used for each grade.
hut if these different sized kernels are
miycd and dropped msccllancously it
will he impossible to secure Il uniform
number Of stalks per hill
\ VALUABLE MARCH DAY.
! We cannot afford to neglect this i'm
poltant work. If every farmer in the
State would test every ear of his seed
corn this winter in the way described
I above the yield would be wonderfully
increased. No other time will be so
profitable to the farmer as that spent
in testing the vitality of his seed and in
grading it to ensure the planter dropping
! the proper number of kernels in each
! hill. 1t is possible for every one to do
this work. 1t will cost nothing but the
time. of which there is plenty mt this
season when the work should be done.
Every farmer should realize the import
ancc of testing every ear of his seed corn
before spring work bgins. No possible
loss can come of it and it will insure a
good stand of corn which is absolutely
essential. if the best results are to be Sc
cured from the years hard work. One
day spent in March on the seed corn.
may be worth more than month of hard
work III the field later Without good
seed the after labor is of little avail
Nothing is more depressing or diScourag-
ing than poor stand of corn. If the
seed is carefully tested and only good
seed planted. there are no risks to run
except those made necessary to every one
from the conditions of the weather. etc.
which cannot b controlled. 1t is during
the bad seasons. when conditions are I'M,
favorable. tlrHt we most need the kernels
with large cp germs of II bright cheer
ful toOT, we'll matured. and likely to give
the most vi"0rCuS termination. 1t is
oSSerti1l to seek improved varieties OF
rorn. hut It is also important that better
treatment e given TO the seed that is tc
he planted. If the test shows the SEED