The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-01-26


seed with few sacks or blankets in
order to prevent too rapid evaporation of
; the formaldehyde. In few hours the
sacks may be removed and the grain al
lowed to dry before seeding.
i 1t is usually best to treat seed the day
!, before seeding, but it may be done earl
Ter in the season if desired When seed
is treated some weeks before seeding it
should be allowed to dry thoroughly be-
fore storing in bins or sacks When the
seed grain is stored bins after being
treated, the bins should be thoroughly
swept out and sprinkled with Tornado
i hyde to avoid infection from smut spores
that may have adhered to the floor and
walls of the bin.
i Where granary room cannot be had
for treating the seed it can be success
! fully treated in a wagon box, conven-
iently placed. In seeding grain that has
recently been treated the drill should be
opened a trifle wider (h bushel more
for oats), in order to get the same
amount of seed into the soil
The formaldehyde treatment will kill
the sinking smuts of wheat, the loose
smut of oats, and the barley smuts.
1t will not rid wheat of loose smut if
present in large quantity. Treating seed
corn for corn smut does no good The on
i ly way to decrease the amount of smut
in corn is to pluck off the smut balls
and burn them. Corn smut spreads rap
idly if the smut balls are thrown on the
manure pile and the manure spread on
corn fields.
! The production of corn in Minnesota is
| confined to the southern half of the
state, but varieties are rapidly becom-
ing adapted to the northern half. The
range of adaptability of varieties is
small. On this account the choosing of
a suitable variety is important.
The freedom with which corn crosses
makes it difficult to keep varieties pure.
The average farmer cannot grow more
than one variety and keep it pure The
pollen 1.-THE yellow powder from the tas
sels) may be carried by the winds many
rods and fall upon the silk of another
variety, fertilize the seed, and thus
make cross. A yellow kernel in white
ear or white kernel in yellow ear is
| the result of such n cross
To keep a variety pure it should be
planted at least forty rods from other
varieties and two varieties should not
be planted in line of the prevailing
winds.
Experiments have shown that the
yields of corn can be increased by care
full seed selection. All corn saved for
seed should be selected in the field be-
fore frost. A practical selection is made
at harvest time by saving all the best
formed ears of the desired type in a box
or basket fastened to one side or back
of the wagon box. Since the ear is q
good indication of the inherent quail
ties of the plant, this kind of a selection
when carefully made) will gradually
improve the type and yield of the va
riety.
A more rapid method of improving and
keeping it pure is to grow seed corn
patch each year. From the very best
ears go OF ~ plant either a separate
patch apart from the rest or use these
ears to plant a few rows through the
center of the large field of the same va
riety. From this patch at harvest time
save again the best ears to plant a SIM
liar patch the next year; the bulk of
the good ears remaining should be saved
for seed to plant the large field, and
from the large field seed can be saved
for sale. By having a small patch of
this kind one can easily cut out the
barren and weak stalks, and thus give
prominence to only the best.
! Mr. Bull told the farmers to store
their seed corn in a well ventilated place
away from the effects of climatic
changes The butts and tips of the ears
should be discarded.
Stops were made at Vernon Center and
Amboy, Professor Boss addressing the
farmers at the former place and L. B.
Bassett doing likewise at the latter
! town.
At six o'clock the train went to FL
more where Professor Bull talked to a
gathering of farmers.
| The train ran back to Madelia for the
night and during the day meetings were
held at Madelia, Butterfield. Mountain
, Lake, Jeffers, Westbrook and Currie.
Following is the itinerary for the bal
ance of the week with the time of ar
rival at each stations:
Wednesday, Jan. Window, a.
M; Heron Lake, lilo a. M; Dundee,
1890 p. M; Avoca, 200 p. M; Slayton,
3:l5 D. M; Lake Wilson, 4:45 p. M;
Woodstock, 6:05 p m.
Thursday, Jan. 25-Hartford, S. D.,
9:45 a. M; Humboldt, ii a. M; Mont
rose, 1915 a. M; Salem, lao a. M;