Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-03-05

@ VI l. q 81
FIG. xv-oNR OF THE BEST WAYS TO HANG
UP SEED CoRN.
first step in preparing the soil for a
corn crop, then, is to see that there is
a plentiful supply Of plant food on
hand. This we can do by using barn
yard manure literally and by follow
ing a consistent system Of rotation
that will equalize the demands made
on the soil and keep up the supply Of
nitrogen and humus.
The next point is to see that the soil
Is in such condition that the roots
will have little difficulty in branching
out to secure the needed plant food and
water. Thorough plowing, disking and
narrowing will make the soil fine and
mellow, so that the roots will have lit
tie trouble in obtaining all the plant
food they can use, provided it is there
at all.
The water supply can be regulated
to considerable extent by tile drain
age and by keeping the surface loose
to check evaporation. The tempera-
ture Of the soil is also an important
factor In Fastening termination and
early growth. Drainage, cultivation
and the maintenance Of plentiful
supply of humus will aid greatly In
securing a warm seed bed by planting
time.
With a warm, we'll prepared soil
containing sufficient quantities Of plant
food and water the next question that
comes up is regarding the kind Of seed
to put into that soil. Almost any kind
of seed will grow and produce a fair
crop under favorable conditions. What
we are after, however, Is not a fair
crop, but an extra good one.
The seed of different strains Of corn
varies greatly in its ability to produce
yields. In the spring of 1905 the Iowa
experiment station gathered seed from
nearly a hundred different sources and
planted it on the station grounds. Un-
der conditions that were as nearly alike
as it was possible to make them the
yields from the different strains varied
from thirty-one to eighty bushels per
acre. This variation shows that large
share of the Improvement in corn pro-
duction must come through the breed
ing of high yielding strains.
It Is not safe to ship In seed corn
from distance. Corn Is very sensitive
to changes in climate and soil. To OBJ
tain the best results the work Of breed
ing must be done for each locality and
will surely result in some improvement
to some extent for each farm.
A method of improving seed corn that
will surely result in some Improvement
and one that has simplicity to recon-
mend it is that of selecting number
of the best ears each year and planting
them in field by themselves or In one
corner Of the main field. BY selecting
the best ears from this breeding plot
each year to plant next years breed
ing plot and using the rest Of the good
ears to plant in the main field some
improvement can be effected. The weak
point in this plan, however, is that the
yielding power Of an ear cannot be told
from its appearance. Neither Is 1t pos
sible to prevent inbreeding by such a
method.
To avoid these difficulties the "indi-
vidual ear" plot has been devised. This
should preferably be at least forty
rods from the nearest cornfield. Where
this is impossible a strip along the
south side of a field Of the same vari-
ETY. may be used. AS the prevailing
July and August winds are from the
south, very little pollen from the main
field will blow over on the breeding
plot.
Each row in the individual ear plot
is to be planted with the kernels from
a single ear. AS any fair sized ear
will plant a row forty rods long, this
Is a convenient length for the plot.
Select from so to 100 of the best ears
you can find among your seed corn
and plant them in as many rows across
the plot. The work can be done with
a planter If care Is taken to clean the
seed boxes out thoroughly each time
across. The cultivation given to the
plot should be the same as that which
the main field receives.
The time for special treatment comes
when the tassels begin to appear. we
have already learned that inbreeding Is
weakened and that cross fertilization
develops strength and vitality. In
order to prevent inbreeding in the In
dividual 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 will be necessary to go
over the field every other day for
week after the first tassels start. At the
same time any tassels from weak, bar
rem or spindling 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