The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-03-09

crop of corn We must not despise the
day OF small things. Besides using
the instruction that agricultural pro-
fessors can give. we must put great
deal OF hard work and attention to
details into the production of this
crop. 1t is not any one thing that
makes the big crop. but the combina-
ton OF many, small things well done.
from start to finish we must not
omit a single thing that the crop
demands. We must do anything that
will add another kernel to the ear or
another ear to the crop.
With the best kind OF soil, and the
most favorable season and the best
seed, and the work done by the best
kind of a farmer. the result will be
q crop Of corn that will nearly, if not
quite, average 100 bushels per acre.
But II any one Of these four factors be
divided by two it will very nearly di-
vide that 100 bushel yield by two.
Care of the Soil.
We begin the crop the first of Au-
gust by hauling manure which a
dairyman gives us. and spreading
upon the clover sod. Without fertile
soil we cannot raise corn. The farm
er who grows Just corn and oats and
hauls them to the elevator will not
continue to raise good crops of corn.
The farmer who feeds cattle on a
hillside and let's the fertility from the
feed yard wash down the creek will
lose q great deal of his soil and his
crop of corn. He must put back the
Fertility that is taken from the land
by the crops. He must adopt some
system by which he can permanently
maintain the fertility Of the soil or
he cannot keep up the corn yields.
We know that the ground is injured
when soft by tramping Of live stock,
and the animals should be kept out
Of the stalk field at such times. II
is a mistake to rake and burn stalks
We should return their organic matter
70 the SOIL and this Will help to KEEP
it in good physical condition.
Gathers seed in October.
The first of October We go into the
corn field with sacks and gather SEED
corn, taking the best ears from the
best stalks. This field selection OF
seed is important. So mucth of the
corn falls down when the windstOrms
come, but some stalks do not fall
and seed should be selected from the
latter-that is, from the stalks that
have good root development
In selection Of seed corn ears at the
crib we cannot tell anything about
the stalk that produces those ears
There is as much individuality in the
ears of corn as there Is in people.
1t is very necessary to see the stalks
upon which our seed ears grow, ano
we should select ears from only such
stalks as have the characteristics that
we desire in the stalks Of the follow
ing crop.
Experiments in selecting seed from
tall and short stalks at the University
Of Illinois have developed two types
of stalks, With an average difference OF
twenty inches in height. Both kinds
yield the same amount Of grain, and
the shorter stalk is much to be pre-
ferred.
Hence the advisability Of selecting
stalks,
We tie the seed ears in a string and
hang them up in an open shed, where
they may dry out thoroughly.
Four Important Points.
am not so particular about ali the
line points of the score card, but
consider as most important the size
and shape Of the ear and the size and
shape of the kernel as called for by
the score card. If we are going &c
select seed for extreme length Of ker-
mel we must save the seed in the fall
SO the ear can dry out. for the deeper
the kernel the longer it takes to dry
out.
1t Pays to Test Each Ear.
Last spring I tested FIVE kernels
from each ear of enough seed corn to
plant 100 acres, rejecting every ear
from which any one or more Of the
five, Kernels failed to gernlinate well,
and know that it paid to do this
work. If edge7drop planter is. used
it is almost necessary to grade the
corn, and a little shaking grader OF
zinc Ecreens with elongated holes.