Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1906-11-14
SELECTION OF SEED CORN
FOR THE NEXT YEARS CROP
INTERESTING BULLETIN ISSUED BY OPLA.
WARE COLLEGE EXPERIMENT STATION.
Prof. Hayward Gives Some Excellent Advice
to Growers 10 the Selection and Handling
of Seed Corn for Coming Years Crop.

of Seed Corn for Coming Years Crop.
Now is the time to select the seed
corn to be used for next years crop.
If selected now, before freezing
weather and thoroughly dried, the
seed will not only terminate better but
the germ will be stronger and will pro-
duce better plant than if weakened
by being heated in pile or by having
the moisture frozen through exposure
to cold weather.
1t is generally accepted fact that
seed corn grown a comparatively short
distance from the place where it is to
be planted will give better results than
seed from greater distance. Hence,
to insure maximum crop next year, it
is essential that this matter receive at
tention now. On account of the past
bad season. many farmers will be- I'M
able to select seed of their own grow
ing good enough to plant next year.
In consequence, those farmers who
have more corn suitable for seed than
they need for their own use should
have no difficulty in disposing of it to
their neighbors at a good price.
In the choice of corn for seed one
should be guided by the great law of
heredity or the law that like produces
like. If one is to grow a maximum
crop only seed from large ears should
be planted. tits equally essential that
both the tip and the butt of the ear be
well filled out. 1t is also very desira.
BILE that the rows of kernels on the ear
be straight and that the ear have nearly
the same circumference through its
whole length, in other words, that the
ear does not taper much from butt to
tip. The cob should be neither too
large nor to small; if too large, the
coru husks hard, the kernels are likely
to be short, and the cob; carrying a
large amount of water, cures with diff
Guilty. If too small, the ears may be
broken off by the wind before the
stalks ar cut, The ideal ear is one
having a rather small cob with deep
kernels packed tightly together.
In storing seed corn, care should be
taken to have it thoroughly dry before
freezing weather, and to keep it dry
until ready to plant next spring. There
are number of ways to dry seed corn,
but perhaps one of the best for Della
ware growers is to hang it up in the
smoke house and build slow fire un-
der it; care being taken not to have the
fire become too hot. In this way the
corn may be thoroughly dried. Or it
may be hung up back of he stove il
the kitchen, or even over a NOV in thu
barn. Never, however, over a stable
where the moisture from the breath o
the animals will pass over it. If thu
} corn is dried in the barn, or away from
artificial heat, care should be taken t.
see that each ear is allowed full cir
culation of air, that is, the ears shoulC
not touch each other. When the seet
is dried in this way it may be left un
disturbed from the time it is hung n
until wanted for use, protected, o
course, from birds and mice.
If dried in the smoke house, it ma
. be stored in the attic or hung up il
a any dry airy place, care being takel
b. not to allow the ears to touch eac
y other so as to insure against an ABSORB
J. ton of moisture from the air.
J Ifthese simple precautions are take
0 this Fall, it may save a good deal c
4 valuable time in the rush of mex
l. springs work.-H. Hayward.