The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-08-26


that first stalk Of cotton we picked
had over pound on it and If al
the stalks on this plat were just like
it we should get two and one-half
bales Of cotton per acre. I intend
to make a two-and-a-half-b bale crop.
and I am going to commence by Sc
lecting the right seed to do it,
''The next plant was loaded with
bolls, but 1t did not stand over IS in
ches high. THAT is a perfect plant
I remarked but we will not take any
bol.s from it, It Is too small. Never
select a runt pig for a prize winner
at the fair. If I had an acre Of such
plants they would not hold as much
cotton as / want
I'm this way we went over the two
acre plat and secured 200 pounds Of
seed cotton. This was carefully
stored and ginned The next year
there were three times as many per-
feet stalks in the field as the previ-
Gus season. In three years nearly
every plant was a model and we had
ahalf-ba,e crop.
"In making selections never pick a
boil for seed except from a plant that
is just what you want your crop to
be next year. You cannot buy such
seed. Raise it.
Select your seed early for next
years crop.
Ginning and Cleaning Seed Cotton.
"Store your selected seed in a dry
place and wait until the steam gins
are nearly through; then carefully
clean the gin, put down a sheet to
catch the seed, and run your selected
lot through. Store in a dry place till
it Is time for planting.
Before planting, run this seed
through tanning mill. blowing out
any seed that may be light. and
| screening out any that are too small.
Follow this method just as closely as
possible. A peck Of such screened
seed will produce more strong plants
| than q bushel Of the seed commonly
planted.
improvement of Corn by Seed Selec-
"Corn is one Of the easiest plants
to modify that the farmer has to
deal with. and there Is no plant that
will respond more quickly to intelli-
gent efforts at improvement. Corn is
also very susceptible to the effect of
change Of climatic or soil conditions;
hence, It IL very difficult to predict
that the best variety at one place
will prove to be the best in another
locality.
without going into the reason for
it. the following is a brief outline Of
just how to select seed corn.
'The corn 1t is desired to improve
should be planted on specially pre-
pared plat and well cultivated. When
the plants have silked. go through the
field and remove all plants that have
not started an ear. After this and
before harvesting 60 through the plat
carefully and select the best stalks,
marking them 80 they can be readi-
ly distinguished.
IAN ideal stalk is one without
suckers. thick at base. with well-de-
veloped roots. as shown by its vigo-
rous growth, and bearing a good ear
or ears about four feet from the
ground. The stalk when mature
should be between eight and ten feet
high.
! If 1t Is desired to produce an ear
ly variety, only those stalks that ma
ture first should be marked.
! Select stalks that are free from
smut or disease and are not in the
immediate neighbOrhood of other dis
eased stalks. The stalks should have
| wv eOcN cars uPOh ShdhhS VI y
inches long, and these ears should
show decided tendency to turn
down.
'The South Is in greater need of
improved varieties of corn than is
the case with any Of her other crops.
Cotton has received fairly good at
tention, but the corn crop has been
sadly neglected. Our people are be-
ginning to realize its Importance, and
quite remunerative field of indus
try awaits the farmer who will make
business OF raising reliable seed
corn. Owing to the fact that corn
is so easily Influenced by a change of
climate and soil, the field for this in