The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-04-28

as that which h main field receives.
The time for special treatment
comes when the tassels begin to ap-
pear. W. have already learned that
1nbreeding is weakening and that
cross fertilization develops strength
and vitality. In order to prevent in
breeding in the individual ear plot
the tassels on every alternate row
should be pulled out as soon as they
appear. In order that these may be
removed before they shed any pollen
1t VIII be necessary to go over the
field every other day for a week after
the 0rst tassels start. At the same
time any tassels from weak, barren or
sptndlfng stalks In the other rows
should be removed. In this way only
pollen from healthy, vigorous stalks
Is allowed to mature. Thus the ears
on the detasseled rows, being cross
fortified and having only strong,
healthy male parents, have a much
better chance Of producing large
yields when planted than would ears
picked from the general field.
The most important point, however,
is the selection Of high yielding
strains that Is made possible by hay
ing the ears planted in individual
rows. When harvesting time comes
the produce Of each row should be
husked separately and weighed. 1t
will be found that there is a great
difference in yield. The highest yield
ing rows, provided the corn is Of
good quality, should furnish seed for
next years breeding plot. The rest
of the good seed ears from the detas-
seled rows should be planted in a
small field, known as the multiplying
plot" The best of the seed from this
multiplying plot can be used to plant
the general fields and for sale.
BY continuing this breeding process
from year to year a strain of corn
may be built up that will far outyield
the ordinary corn of the neighborhood.
In addition to the increase in yield
which will result on your own farm, a
trade in seed corn may be built up
that will add materially to the years
profits. There are many variations in
the plan of breeding here outlined, but
the essential point in all Of them is to
select the best yielding individual
ears and to prevent cross pollination
as much as possible.
After the seed corn has been picked
it should be stored in such a manner
that it will pass through the winter
uninjured. The hints in regard to seed
storage as given in article No. G should
be followed.
Some time toward the close of win
ter the corn should be tested. For a
preliminary test a hundred kernels
may be taken from as many ears in
different parts of the room If the
corn has exceptionally strong vitality
the kernels may all terminate. In
case some of the kernels fail to grow
or any considerable number show
weak sprouts each ear should be test
ed separately in order that the weak
ones may be discarded. The method
Of making this test has been described
so many times in agricultural papers
and bulletins that 1t will be unneces-
sary to give it in detail here. It SIM
ply consists in placing several kernels
from each ear in a corresponding
square in the terminating box. In this
way the vitality Of each ear may be
readily determined.
Shortly before planting time the
ears should be shelled and run through
a seed corn grader to take out the butt
and tip kernels and divide the rest
into yer grades. The next step is to
block up the planter and run through
a sample Of each grade, changing
plates until a set is found that will
drop the required number Of kernels
practically every time. If this is done
and well tested seed used a good
stand will almost certainly result.
Avoid too deep planting. All that is
necessary is to have the seed we'll COW
cred with moist soil. If this can be
done without putting 1t down more