The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1907-05-02
SEED CORN.
A Few Weak Ears Per BusheI Lessen
the Resulting Crop.

A Few Weak Ears Per BusheI Lessen
the Resulting Crop.
The following advice in regard to
testing seed corn is from the Indiana
experiment station:
No farmer can afford to neglect
making sure that every ear Of corn he
uses for seed will produce strong, Wig
orous plants. The difference between
none and two or three weak ears per
bushel of seed corn may amount to
hundreds of bushels in the resulting
crop. The cost Of producing an acre of
corn is practically the same whether
the stand of plants is good OF poor, SO
why not have the good stand and the
larger crop?
Making the Tray.
To make the termination test pro-
ceed as follows:
Make shallow tray or box about
two feet by three feet in size and two
inches deep inside. Bore small holes
one and three-f fourth inches apart III
the sides and ends about half an inch
from the top. Through these holes
string light copper or galvanized wire
both ways, thus marking the tray OFF
into squares-a square for the kernel
Of each ear of corn to tasted. \
stout string may be used instead of TIE
wire, but it will last only one season.
Instead of weaving in the cross wires,
a piece of large meshed wire chicken
fencing may be nailed on top Of the
tray, with half inch strip all round
the edges on top of the wire SO that
when the tray is covered the cover will
not rest on the wire. This Is the tester.
Fill the tester upon the wires with
earth or sand and thoroughly wet it.
Take the tester to where your seed
corn is stored or take both tester and
the selected seed corn to place where
you can work conveniently.
Selecting the Kernels.
Take the first ear Of corn and re-
move five kernels each from a differ
ent part of the ear and put them on
the first square In the upper left hand
corner Of the tester and press them
down into the earth. Lay the ear on a
shelf or table. Then take tho next
ear and proceed in the same way, put
ting the kernels in the square to the
right of the first and the ear IN the
corresponding position beside the first
ear on the shelf Continue this until
the first row Of squares is filled, then
turn and come back on the next row
below. The ears corresponding to the
second row of squares may be laid in
row on top of the first row on the
shelf. Whatever the system follow,1.
the ears must be so arranged that the
ear belonging to the kernels in a GER
tain square in the tester may be easily
located.
Examine the Sprouts.
After the kernels are all placed and
well pressed into the wet soil carry the
tester into a room where the tempera-
ture can be kept around 20 degrees.
The ordinary living room will he about
right, but the tester should not be put
near the stove.
Cover the tester with panes Of glass.
resting lightly on the sides SO as to let
in little air. Glass makes the best
cover because it prevents drying out
and at the same time permits one to
see how the corn is getting along with
out lifting the cover.
After four or five days take off the
cover, carry the tester to where the
corn is stored and then examine the
kernel in each square. If any lot of
kernels show dead germs or weak
sprouts, throw away the ear from
which they came. Never use an ear
which does not show at least four
strong root and stem sprouts out of
five kernels tested
The tester may be made of any size
convenient. The one described above
will test about three bushels of ear
corn at time or every five days.