The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-08-02

uyating two acres In order to prdOuc
fifty bushels. or but twenty-five bust
els per acre. Only a portion of tn
work that would be necessary Il
breaking. planting and cultivating tn
extra acre will be required in select
ing and preserving the improved see,
that will make the increased yielt
possible.
When grown for years under Ger
tain conditions of soil and climate
ilants gradually become adapted tC
the conditions so that homegrown
seed will usually produce better than
seed brought from other States OF
countries.
There is great need of few farm
ers in each county giving their atten-
ton to the growing and saving of good
seed of corn, wheat, cotton, tobacco,
etc. a few years of careful work will
prove the superiority of such seed and
create a demand for it. The work
will thus become not only profitable
to the seed grower, but be blessing
to the country by making larger yields
without an increase Of labor
Seed corn should be selected In the
fall from the stalk as soon as the
corn is dry and hard. Seed ears
should be taken only from desirable
stalks; i. e., from strong, thick stalks
not more than eight or nine feet tall,
stalks that produce good ears low
down on the stalk and which have no
suckers.
After it is selected the seed should
be well dried and then placed in a
dry room where it will not be sub |
jected to damp atmospheres or sud- |
den changes in temperature. A dry, |
fairly warm room in the dwelling is a |
good place to keep seed during the |
winter. Seed corn well cared for has
produced eighteen bushels more per
acre than the same kind Of corn taken
at the same time from the same field
IN the fall, but stored in a crib during
.ue winter. This shows eighteen
bushels more per ace without any in
:rease of labor. This eighteen BUSH
Els increase was not due to bet
,er stand of stalks, but to the in
creased vigor and producing power of
he seed that had been well cared
or. There is a young living corn
talk in every kernel of seed corn,
md the seed should be treated as
wing thing.
The testing of each ear of corn be- 9
ore it is planted will be found very
rofitable This can be done without
luch time or labor by taking six or
en- kernels from each ear and placing ;
hem on a cloth over damp sawdust. =,
mis- method will reveal not only the ;
ans that will not grow, but also those
Iat viii make Itebie growth, and a
.hich, if planted, will yield small !
rop. IL
Let us plant only good seed that we :,
now will grow and grow vigorously .
ct us be sure the planter drops the !,
roper number of kernels in each hill. T
O not cultivate vacant hills all sum- ;,
er. 1t is labor thrown away. 1t is =
ten better to pillow up with the cul- !,
vator a poor stand and plant again !.
ian to fill in the missing hills. With ~
e best of seed and averaging plant :.
e conditions, a second planting will =
rely be necessary. ~
Rotation of crops and fall blowing O,
e the best ways of getting ahead OF :,
sects that injure the crop plant.
Keep loose soil mulch in the corn n
Id till the corn begins to tassel. -
he formation of a hard crust over >;
e surface OF the corn field is likely =,
reduce the yield many bushels per IN
re. Such q crust during dry ce
Gather at tasseling time may ruin m
omising corn crop. OF
Do not plant corn on poor, thin !,
nd. Better grow cow-peas and m
over for a few years till the land =,
D. fertility enough to yield q prod
bic corn crop. 70
The average yield OF corn per acre n,
: the entire United States for the 10
st ten years is 25rs bushels. Thisf M
cans that many acres are producing 70
Is than this amount, and such u,
TALL crop is Improbable. 1t is pos tir
lie In a few years time to double 90
r yields and thereby increase our tb
PITTS twenty or fifty times. Every o.
shell per acre above the cost Of pro- 81
ction is profit. 81
Although we are now making liy-
and saving a little, let us avail
rselves more fully of the advantages