Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-09-30
SEED CORN SUGGESTIONS.
How to Gather and Store Seed Corn Subject
Of Valuable Article From Iewa
State College.

sending TO the county Superlnten-
dents, for them to send to all schools,
excellent suggestions on saving and
caring for their choicest corn to be
. exhibited at the local corn shows. or
at the state corn show in January, or
at the national corn show at Omaha in
December, or to be used for seed next
spring. The information is so valu-
able that we print it for the benefit
of all the farmers in this locality.
Gather seed the last ten days in
September. Corn to be used for seed
should not be left in the field later
than Oct. 9Th, because it is likely to
be frozen during the cold nights.
Corn which is frozen when it con-
tains as much water as unhusked corn
does during October and November is
likely to be killed or weakened This
is why much of the seed corn gathered
at husking time fails to grow. Go
into the best part of the best field on
the farm and select the seed there
Strip back the husks on all desirable
looking ears which are growing at
medium height on strong. sturdy
stalks. If an ear is we'll ripened, that
is. the kernels we'll denied and quite
hard. perfectly sound and of the right
size and shape, it should be husked
and placed in sack or basket which
is carried along between the rows.
Only we'll ripened ears growing at a
uniformly medium height should be
selected.
The ears which have been selected
for seed should be hung up during the
same day that they are gathered. be-
cause if they are left in sacks, baskets,
or left piled in the wagon box or on
the floor, they are likely to heat,
mould. and begin to grow which
greatly weakens the germs and is
likely to kill them.
Cut binding Irvine in pieces. about
ten feet long and with it tie the ears
together in strings of fifteen to twenty
ears each. One person, usually girl,
because she can tie faster, can tie the
Irvine around each ear while another
holds the ears. The first ear is tied
in the middle of the piece OF Irvine
with single knot, the second is tied
next to it and so on until the string is
about gone. Then q double knot Is
tied for the last ear which will hold
all of them fairly tight. The ends Of
the string should be left long enough
to tie to the wire on which the corn
is hung.
The ears of corn hung up in this
way pull apart little as the Irvine
stretches and if they touch at all it is
very lightly. This makes perfect
| ventilation around every ear
Show corn should be tied with
shorter Irvine so not more than five
ears are tied together to prevent max
| ing q crease around the ear.
The corn which has been tied in
strings of fifteen to twenty ears each,
should be hung up ON wires, so that
the mice cannot reach it. in some dry,
well ventilated place These wires
may be laced as close as six inches
apart and the strings of corn tied
every five or six inches on each wire.
Enough ears for one hundred acres
can easily be hung in space six feet
square. The attic or other empty
room in the house, is probably as good
place as any in which to hang the
seed. The windows must be left open
during the fail while the seed is dry
ing, except on stormy days. and should
be opened on bright warm days in
winter in order to keep the room dry.
No artificial heat should be used
while the seed is drying because it is
likely to start some of it to growing.
Corn should not !e hung up in pig
pen or over q stable where stock is
kept, because the steam from their
breath and bodies keeps it moistened
and sprouting or freezing may result.
1t should not be hung up over the
oat bin or coru crib, because the
rising moistu q from the drying grain
will not allow it to dry out the best.
1t should not be hung up out Of
doors where the sun and rain will
strike it. for the warmth and moisture
and freezing nights will combine to
kill and weaken the germs.
1t should, if possible. be hung in a
dry, well ventilated room in the attic.
or other room, where it will not freeze
and where it can be left all winter
without further trouble
SUMMARY.
/. Gather seed ears before the first
of October.
q Do not select ears which are too
we'll ripened.
g. Select ears from the best stalk,
in the best fields.
A. Select ears of medium and uni.
form height on the stalks.
5. Collect the ears in sack or bas-