Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-29
Iowa
POOR SEED CORN IN USE
Chairman Of Iowa Board Sends Out
Statement
Results OF ELABORATE TESTS
Article Directions FOE De-
termintnE G-ermtnntfnE Quality Of
Grain Before PIanrfnE-seed
shauId BE Gathered Early.
RESULTS OF ELABORATE TESTS

m T.a d SUIT @LEEaeUGLEEI.
DEs MONIES Nov E-OsDeciaLJ-Chair
ran J1nn Covnie 5f the stare Board Of
Control has sent out TO the farmers Of the
state a timely warning as % the danger
from poor seed corn. and giving the results
o. tests he has had made Tor the stare.
In this statement he says
Those farmers WHO neglected gathering
and swing u a proper manner their sect
corn prior CO. the FROST IN me 1rst 1alr o.
much u the seed corn gathered since the
E-Ht Is worthless is EarmluaCug 1uai--
impaired. and TO plant IL means the loss OF
a cr1p.
Esaiziug this condition. 7 have been test
ing corn the same as 7 DO every spring
with the seed corn saved at the state tn
sutl-iCns under the state Board Of Control
The Test is simple and follows mature g
method, a cigar box being filled 70 within
an inch Of the top with earth. the kernels
OF corn then evenly distributed in the box.
and IL II then filled even fIl with earth.
Wa-ersd when necessary, and kept ii a
moderate L~=nperarLre, as near as possible
70 Eeic piL1ung conditions Ii the spring
OF the year.
While visiting the state institutions At
Anamosa and kuoZviIe In the laltar par
or October and the early part u November.
I selected a number Of ears for testing,
win the following result.
The Aramusa corn was taken from a load
just luskeu anu fairly good Tor this year.
having been planted about the middle Of
NAY. and some 1r T. vas dry and sound
while some ears wars quite soft. merely
hard roasting ears. OF the Oundear and
best ears selected, IS per cent terminated,
bur II came I'D very u~nevsnly. indicating
impaired vitality.
Strange az il may appear To those who
nave not made a study Of seed corn. the
SOFT green. immature corn gave a some
what better e minaLion. showing 30 per
cent and a much more Uniform growth
man the r1per grain
While al the Knoxville institution in the
early part of November. I selected a mum
Der or choice ears in The field. the corr
UwInHHmE m H- all Ill -4--.-V
This corn where the selection was made
would eH-Ly yield sixty CT more bushels
OF gDod quality per acre, but OF the two
seieeLuns made one only gsrminaued "a
Pc cent and the other 80 per cent. the
growth being very uneven.
Selects Corn At
Passing a feed store in Des Moines the
early part Of November. I selected from a
basket OF new corn At the door 4 n1mbar
OK kernels that we're lIsO tested. with a %
Per cent gsrminatiOu, nut there was almost
made its appearances above around uurI
the asst one maize its appearances. Indicating
a very low vitality.
N aCrlAlng contrast with these samples
9L seed corn gathered after the October
most was A test made OF some corr brought
% the office Ok the state Board OF Caurrul
~ ne sGperfnraEden-s u state institutions
az the september conference. This Coz
mad been picked about the middIe OF Sep
len-ber when quite green and had AIN IL
9ur Office SINCE then, 4 few ears having
Deccne n1oicT On account OF lying too
GitselL together.
OF this curn city grains were selected.
some Of them from the moIdy ears taat
would nave rejected for seed in the sprlug
TIME nuL Notwithstanding this condition.
L1IL-n-ne Kernels, or ) per cent. germ
mafec and made their appearance above
ground ar nearly the same time. showing
strong vitality and a vigar that would
stand colo. vet weather IN an Indictment
season and grCw-w1ar none Of the other
samples tested would do
There IS a lesson 70 be learned from mis-
test and rhaL Is. that seed corn should ~
sALlered carry. The LAST haL@ Of Seuramber
oeLng The proper time n any and al sea
5Lla corn Euuy glazed. in fact. after il
mas become TOO hard flr roasting ears. Is
IN the best condition for seed. And not
MY corn Dur al tIrm seeds have much
more vitality when saved for seed before
oeing fully ripe.
II should not be placed in An ourbufI,ftna
driveway, under a porch roof or on a VIZ
aEelchEC between trees as Is Oxen lone
-lL ID -uch places during Wei wanther the
corn VIII absorb moisture, and driving. be-
Tore the advent Of cold weather winch Is
imperative, liz prevented
ARTIFICIAL heat Is Absolutely necessg- ~
anu a Vel ventilated dry basement WIKI
neaI Is .deal FOR saving seed corn.
An Aruc IN a dwelling house. with hear
yeAL-alOn and a dry Atmosphere at al
-nes, - Another good place Tor storing
seed corn, Dur n must be hung I'd or sursa5
On racks 90 allow a free circulation ~ a.
between the ears.
u these Suggestions ar f1Uowed 10 the
lcIler there VIII be no Necessity FOR rssrina
seed corn before planting. for Z al -oifV
9r suspicious ears are rejected when she'll
- m ne spring. tip and butt kernels
WEI a4grE On the ears. discarded a r.rrn.
nation or Ido per cent and a srrDnr vtrDr.
QA3 growth Is Assured. no matter w,8t r.
condlLou CT the weather may be in ~
corn planting season.
Variability frat etass .CT5,I-,-