The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1909-09-09
TOMORROW IS
SEED CORN DAY
SEPTEMBER 10 Is THE DATE TO
PICK SEED.
CHAMBERLAIN GlVESADVCt
ON THE SUBJECT OF BIGGER AND
BETTER CORN CROPS.

A. E. Chamberlain of this city, SUI
perintendent of the farmers institutes
of the state, gives out bulletin on
the picking of seed corn and sets to-
morrow, the 10th of September as
seed corn day. Mr.. Chamberlain urges
all farmers to pick their seed on this
day, and he says that all corn not
ripe by the 10th is not fit for seed.
The bulletin is as follows:
We have had the best season for
maturing corn early that we have had
for several years Corn will be ripe
September 10 this year, that some
seasons would not get ripe till the goth
or 25th.
Corn that is not ripe September 10
this year should not be planted in
this state. The first question we
should always ask of an ear of seed
corn is, will you produce corn that
will fully mature?" The next is, "Will
you grow?"
1t is really more important that we
should gather seed corn early a season
such as we have had, than more
unfavorable season. Farmers natural
ly select the largest ears for seed.
Generally speaking they are the larg-
est in the field because the last to get
ripe-they grew longer. If this is con.
tinued for series of years, the corn
gradally gets to maturing later.
August 2S this year we had traces
of frost in some parts of the state. The
writer has twice within ten years seen
the corn at Yankton killed by frost
before September 10.
We should always plant seed corn
that will in an ordinary season pro.
duce corn that will be out of the way
of frost by that time.
The only seed that will do this is
the ears that are ripe by that time or
before a season such as we have just
had.
Let us gather all the corn we can
Friday, September 10 and Saturday
September II this year
Select the ears that have produced
the most corn that is ripe. The type
varies with different varieties, but
generally speaking, these will be found
to be ears varying in length from not
to exceed seven inches in the north
and in the higher attitudes, to nine
inches in the south, and carrying
their size well to- the tip Of the ear
AS rule the pointed ear mas very
shallow kernels near the tip. Get
the ears with the tips and butts Gov
cred as we'll as you can.
Select ears from good strong stalks,
and that grow about the height from
the ground that you prefer. The ears
that drop over are to be preferred to
those that stick up straight.
Don't pick more than you can hang
up. Care it must have. The best
way we have seen to care for it is to
stretch some wires in the top of the
crib, or a machine shed, any place
where there is plent of dry air and
good roof. These must be stretched
tight. Then take a good piece of
strong wire (binder twine is good
about twelve feet long and tie the ends
together. Slip the hands through and
straighten out like you used to hold
yarn to be wound.
Holding the twine bring the hands
near together and let the boy lay an
ear Of corn in the two pieces of string.
Catch this between your feet, slip one
hand through the string held in the
other hand, crossing the twine, lay
another ear across again till the string
is full. Then pull the string in one
hand through that in the other, and
hang on the tight wire by use OF a
wire hook which you can bend
Before hard freezing weather, put
this corn i'm the attic. or some place
where it won't freeze. If you haven't
a place that won't freeze. have a dry
place, where the temperature will be
steady.
Don't hang over grain in bin, nor
over stock, nor where there is much
moisture. One good ear will plant a
row thirty-five rods long.
Save the seed corn.