Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-11-27
Growing Seed Corn.

| This year followed the instruction given by
the Agricultural Department for culivating
corn. planted plat OF seed corn. oos ,,.' ! nnu
| formed as those on another neld planted a. ran.
DOM Can you give the reason Of this, or VIII II
be next year thai shall see the increase brought
about by cultivation? NJ. y. ID.
Germantown, Pa.
A lot of stuff has been printed about
selecting seed corn that will not bear the
test of experience. 1t is impossible to
select seed corn In the fall with any GER
tainty as to results in the succeeding
crop, unless certain previous observa-
tions have been made. In improving
our corn, we must begin somewhere,
and in the fall, at harvest time, is as
good time as any. The laws of plant
breeding must be followed, as natnre
does not vary her laws to accommodate
us. Simply because an ear is pretty and
conforms to certain empirical standard
or score card is no sign that 1t is good
ear of seed corn. What we want in an
ear of seed corn is ability to yield good
crop when harvested, yield q large re-
turn per acre and per kernel planted.
How are We to secure seed corn which
will DO this, which will give US, with
good cultivation, a yield of hundred
and more baskets per acre OF sound,
well-ripened corn?
First, by selecting variety adapted
to the locality. This means that we will
start in by taking advantage of what our
forebears have done. Usually We shall
find that variety close by our own door.
Seldom does it pay to bring seed corn
from a distant state or from another
latitude or from different class OF soils.
Second, we must select the individuals
as we'll as the variety. Last fall, at the
Michigan Experiment Station, large
number of ears of corn of q certain
variety were planted, an ear to the row.
By this mean that ear No. l was she'll
ed and planted in row No. l, ear No. 2
in row No. 2, and so on for over hum
dred ears. These ears came from corn
grower who had grown this variety,
without the introduction of new blood,
for good many years. The ears were
not identical in shape, nor did they all
conform to the highest points on the
score card adopted by the convention OF
corn growers.
Harvest is not yet over, and it is too
early to make decided statements, but
enough has been determined already to
answer NJ. j. HIS question. Two ears
alike as two peas, planted side by side,
have given, one 14S ears on 80 hills, the
other but so. Remember that the ears
looked alike and would both have been
reserved for seed by the wise farmer.
Remember that no ear OF corn carries
any guarantee in its appearance that 1t
will be notably prolific. What then are
you going to do in this matter OF seed
corn selection? There seems but one way
for the farmer to do, and that is to
adopt the plan already suggested in this
paper, namely, to select dozen or more
good ears growing on vigorous stalks
this fall. Keep these ears warm all win
ter, protected from extreme cold even
after they are dry. Plant the shelled
corn from these ears just as is suggested
above, in parallel rows, one ear to the
row. Then, at cutting and husking
time, keep the progeny of each ear by
itself, and thus fiud out which ear gives
the greatest yield. Save the seed corn
for the following year from the product
of that best ear, no matter whether all
the ears approach the empirical stand
ard or not. Do not stop there. Save
out dozen of the best ears from the
product of this best ear. Shell them
separately, and plant each in separate
row the year following, and continue so
to do until you have your strain of corn
developed. 1t will be a. productive one
and we'll adapted to your farm.
Naturally good cultivation, fertile soil
and good care must 60 with this con-
tinued selection, if any desired goal is
to be reached. Clinton D. Smith
in Country Gentleman.