St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-09-04
IMPORTANCE OF GOOD
SEED TO MAKE GOOD
CORN.
Baton Rouge, La, Aug. 20, 1909.

lance VI COIA GultuL6 III IO~uAoiahas
and the rapid increase in corn acre.
age, a bulletin on Corn" recently
issued by Or. W. R. Dodson, director
Of the State Experiment Station, and
v. L. Roy, who has had charge of
the establishment Of corn clubs is Of
greatest Importance.
The bulletin deals with the selec-
ton Of seed, and in it che two men,
who are perhaps the highest authori-
ties in the State on corn, say:
Good seed corn is as important
as good soil or proper cultivation
and fertilization. It is quite reason
able to hope that the average yield
Of corn in Louisiana can be greatly
increased, if the proper interest can
be awakened in seed breeding and
selection. Such interest is being
manifested by our best farmers and
planters already, and the time is OPP
perfume for the development Of en-
terprises along these lines. The fol-
lowing suggestions and explanations
should be helpful to all progressive
corn growers, whether school boys
or practical farmers, who have not
previously made a thorough study Of
corn. Il is not expected that every
farmer will become a corn breeder,
but there should be enough good
seed produced in each community to
supply every field with welI-bred seed"
Dr.. Dodson urges that experiments
conducted at the station have shown
that homegrown seed corn is superior
to Northern-groWn seed.
The bulletin makes the following
suggestions as to how to select the
best corn for seed:
The characters Of the stalk are
as strongly hereditary as are the
characters Of the ear.
THE first step, therefore, in improv-
ing corn in any given locality is to
select in the field strong stalks, free
of suckers. with Well-developed leaves,
and plenty of brace roots; ears not
too high from the ground, with a
moderately long shank and a heavy
shuck, completely drawn over the
end Of the ear. Other characters
may also be considered, but these
are the most important. The ten
dency to sucker is hereditary, and
suckers are undesirable. The leaves
manufacture the materials that build
the stalk and ear, and should be
broad and strong. Strong stalks and
brace roots are Of great value in re-
sisting storms. Ears that stand Too
high from the ground, above the mid
die Of the stalk, not only make the
stalk top-heayy and liable to pros
tration by winds, but indicate later
maturity, and great inconvenience in
gathering. In rich land and with
the large varieties Of corn above FIVE
and FIVE and a half feet from the
ground should be the extreme height
Of ears.
TT is the judgment of the writer
that over a series of years the best
results viii be secured by having the
stalks come into silk nearly all
at the same time as possible. An
approximate idea of the earliness or
lateness, relatively, can be had BY
counting the joints in the stalks be-
tween the ear and the ground-the
larger number of joints indicating a
late ear, with a given strain Of corn.
A long shank is desired in Louisiana,
because it affords better weather pro-
lection. The ear droops at maturity,
and the most favorable water shed
is provided. a heavy shuck is pro-
lection against birds and grain wee
wills, both serious enemies to corn
throughout the State.
The softer the corn the more i'm
portant is a heavy shuck, that pro-
tudes well, to completely cover the
end Of the ear.
The size of the ear is an impor-
tant consideration, since we frequent
" have an abundance Of rain about
the time that corn natures. Ex-
cessively large ears dry ont slowly,
and are apt 10 become moldy, eaus-
ing injury TO the grain for either
feed or seed. A moderately long ear