The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1909-09-03
SEED CORN.

SEED CORN.
Institute Supt. Chamberlain Pre-.
sents Some Pointers on Saving
Seed Corn.
We have had the best season
for maturing corn early. that we
have had for several years.
Corn will be ripe September
10th this year, that some sea,
sons would not get ripe till the
Goth or 25th.
Corn that is not ripe Sept. 10th
this year should not be planted
in this state. The first question
we should always ask of an ear
of seed corn is ''Will you procude
corn that will fully mature?"
The next is "Will you grow"
1t is really more important
that we should gather seed corn
early a season such as we have
had, than a more unfavorable
season. Farmers naturally sc.
lect the largest ears for seed.
Generally speaking they are the
largest in the field because the
last to get ripe,-they grew long.
er. If this is continued for q
series of years, the corn grad.
ually gets to maturing later.
August 28th this year we had
traces of frost in some parts of
the state. The writer has twice
within ten years seen the corn at
Yankton killed by frost before
Sept. 10th.
W. should always plant seed
corn that will in an ordinary sea.
son produce corn that will be
out of the way of frost by that
time.
The only seed that will do this
is the ears that are ripe by that
time or before, a season such as
we have just had. Let us gather
all the corn we can Friday, Sept.
10th and Saturday the 18th this
year.
SELECTION.
Select the ears that have pro
duced the most corn that is ripe
The type varies with different
varieties, but generally speak.
ing, these will be found varying
in length from not to exceed Z
inches in the North. aud in the
higher attitudes, to 9 inches in
the South, and carrying their
size we'll to the tip of the ear.
AS a rule the pointed ear has
very shallow kernels near the
tip. Get ears with the tips and
butts as we'll covered as you can.
Select ears from good strong
stalks, and that grew about the
hight from the ground that you
prefer. The ears that drop over
are to be preferred to those that
stick up straight.
CARE OF THE SEED.
Don't pick more than you can
hang up. Care it must have.
The best way we have seen to
care for it is TO stretch some
wire in the top of the crib, or a
machine shed, any place where
there is plenty of dry air, and a
good roof. These must be
stretched tight. Then take a
piece of strong Irvine (binder
is good about IL feet long and
tie the ends together. Slip the
hands through and straighten
out like you used to hold yarn to
be wound.
Holding the Irvine bring the
hands near together and let the
boy lay an ear of corn in the two
pieces of string. Catch this be.
tween your feet, slip one hand
through the string held 10 the
other hand, crossing the twine,
lay in another ear cross again
till string is full. Then pull the
string in one hama through that
in the other, and hang on the
tight wire by using q wire hook
which you can bend.
Before hard freezing weather,
put the corn in the attic, or some
place where it won't freeze. If
you haven't a place that won't
freeze, havea dry place, where
the temperature Will be steady.
Don't hang over grain in a bin,
nor oyer stock, nor where there
is much moisture. One good ear
will plant q row IS rods long.
Save the seed corn.-Farmers'
Institute.