Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-09-22
Ames College Interesting Boys
and Girls in Selection of
Proper Seed
IN TOUCH WITH SCHOOL PUPILS
Valuable Suggestions Made for selec-
ton Of Corn for Exhibition Purposes
or for Next Years Plantins--Last
Ten Days Of September tho Time to
Gather II.
Special to Times Republican.

Ames, Is sending to all county super
intendents, to be by them sent to the
school children. valuable information
about saving seed corn. in order to af-
ford an interesting and practical study
for the boys and girls of Iowa. The
seed corn so saved may be exhibited at
the local corn shows, the national corn
exposition at Omaha in December, the
state corn show at Ames in January
or be used for seed next spring The
information is of value to farmers and
others, the suggestions being as fol-
lows:
Gathering Seed.
Time.-The last ten days In Sep
TENDER. Corn to be used for seed
should not be left in the field later
than Oct 5, because 1t is likely to be
frozen during the cold nights. Corn
which is frozen when 1t contains 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.
,Method.--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. III an ear Is
we'll ripened. that is, the kernels well
denied and quite hard, perfectly sound
and Of the right size and shape, 1t
should be husked and placed in a sack
or basket which is carried along, be-
tween the rows Only we'll ripened
ears growing at a uniformly medium
height should be selected.
Storing Seed.
Time.-The ears which have been
selected for seed should be hung up
during the same day that they are
gathered, because 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.
,Method--Cut binding Irvine In pieces
about ten feet long and with 1t tie the
ears together In strings of from flf-
teen to twenty ears each. One person.
usually girl because she can tie fas-
ter, 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 a single knot. the
second is tied next to 1t and so on I'M
til the string is about gone. Then
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 vent
ilation around every ear.
Show corn should be tied with
shorter Irvine so not more than five
ears are tied together to prevent MAX
ing crease around the ear.
Place-The corn which has been tied
in strings of fifteen to twenty ears
each, should be hung up on wires, so
that the mice can not reach it. in some
dry, we'll ventilated place. These wires
may be placed as close as six inches
apart and the strings of corn tied every
five or six inches on each wire. Enough
ears for 100 acres can easily be hung
in space Six feet square. The attic
or other empty room in the house, is
probably as good a place as any In
must be left open during the fall while
the seed is drying, 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 be hung up in a pig
pen or over 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 corn crib, because the rising
moisture 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 sears before the list of
October.
Do not select ears which are not well
ripened.
Select ears from the best stalk, in
the best fields.
Select ears of medium and uniform
height on the stalks.
Collect the ears in sack or basket
as they are gathereds
Hang all the seed ears up to dry on
the same day that, they are gathered.
Do not leave ears in sacks, baskets,
or piles in a wagon or on the floor.
Tie the ears together with binding
Irvine i'm strings of from fifteen tn
twenty ears each.
Hang the strings Of corn on wires
in "a dry, we'll ventilated attic or other
room where ii can stay all winter
Do not hang the. corn in.a pig pen or
over a stable or grain bina-F
Do ntIt hang the corn out of doors.
Do not use artificial heat in drying
the corn *;
Keep the windows of the room Where
the corn is hung UP open all the time
except during stormy weather until
hard freezingJMeather comes.
Open the windows during the warm,
clear days in winter a
! Select two1So three times as much
.ass. -