Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1909-09-03

UP SEED CORN.
ably the more important. We have
already learned how the plant obtains
food and water from the soil. The
first step In preparing the soil for
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 consistent system Of rotation
that will equal re 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 blowing disk
Ing and narrowing will make the soil
fine and mellow, so that the roots
will have little trouble In obtaining
all the plant food they can use. pro-
vided 1t 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 a plentiful
supply OF humus will aid greatly In
securing a warm seed bed by planting
time.
With warm. well prepared soil
containing sufficient quantities Of
plant food and water the next ques-
ton that comes up IS regarding the
kind Of seed to put into that soil. Al
most any kind Of seed Will grow and
produce fair crop under favorable
conditions. What we are after, how
ever, 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 n hundred different sources and
planted 1t 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 BUSH
els per acre. This variation shows
that a large share Of the improvement
in corn production must come through
the breeding Of high yielding strains.
1t Is not safe to ship in seed corn
from n distance. Corn is very sensi-
tive to changes In climate and soil. To
obtain the best results the work Of
breeding must be done for each local
ity and to some extent for each farm.
A method Of improving seed corn
that will surely result In some i'm
provement and one that has simplicity
to recommend II Is that Of selecting
number Of the best ears each year and
planting them in a field by themselves
or in one corner Of the main field. BY
selecting the best ears from this breed.
ing plot each year to plant next years
breeding plot and using the rest Of
the good ears to plant in the main
field some improvement can be effect
ed. The weak point in this plan, how
ever, Is that the yielding power Of an
ear cannot be told from its appear
ance. Neither is 1t possible 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 field Of the same vari-
ETY. may be used. AS the prevailing
July and August winds nre 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 n row forty rods long, this
is convenient length for the plot.
Select from 20 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 n planter II care IS taken
to clean the seed boxes out thorough
ly 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 ap-
pear. We have already learned that
Is weakening and that