The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1909-10-21
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Selecting Corn For Larger Yields.

It should be done after the ears have
thoroughly matured and before cold
weather approaches. II possible. Sc
lections should only be made from
healthy vigorous growing stalks on
which the leaves and tops have been
allowed to remain until the full ma
turity Of the plants. II the ears are
harvested by hand in the usual way.
then let the seed corn be selected
from the field Just before this oper-
alton and select ears from stalks
which are bearing the most shelled
corn per stalk, as such seed when
planted will lead to better yields.
Any method of seed selection that
does not take the plant as a whole
into consideration Is not going to
lead to the best results; for the stalk
and leaves, which are the manufac-
tory Of the plant, determine to a con-
siderable extent the size and quality
Of the ears. In all our results 1t has
been observed that those varieties
which have generally been the best
yielders are those which produce
more than one ear per stalk. Ears
of medium length and size are pref
erable to the long and large ones,
because the latter were generally
either produced on stalks that bore
but one ear, or else on stalks that
grew on some fertile spot in the field
neither Of which tends to the greatest
yields. Seed from corn grown on
average land will do better planted
on land of medium fertility than will
seed from corn grown on rich land for
the same reason that stock accus-
toned to poor conditions will do bet
ter on an inferior pasture than stock
accustomed to more favorable sur
roundings.
Do not turn over the selection Of
your seed to the hired man, but de-
vote your own best efforts to 1t. 1t
will pay you handsomely in increased
yields the following year for all the
time and thought you may have given
to this important matter. In fact,
there are but few. II any. operations
of the farm that will pay as we'll as
the proper selection of seed from the
standing stalks in the field.
BY continually selecting and plant
Ing corn possessing certain desirable
characteristics, such as production of
two good ears per stalk. it will be
found, as the selection goes on from
year to year, that these desirable
qualities have each year become more
thoroughly fixed.
In making selections in the field
at least three to four times as much
corn should be gathered as is desired
for seed purposes the following year,
so that further and more careful Sc
lection can be made after the ears
have been taken to the barn and when
a leisure time presents itself In the
final selection the ears should be ar
ranged conveniently on the barn floor
or ground, and with an ear of the
type desired in mind or in hand, go
over the lot and remove all undesir-
able ones. The seed thus selected
should be transferred to a box or bar
rel and covered with wire gauze OF
something else that will permit of
thorough ventilation and keep out
the rats and mice. Store the barrel
or box in some dry place and let re-
main until the seed are wanted for
planting. &C. B. Williams, Director
Agricultural Experiment Station,
West Raleigh, n. c.
How Flowing affects Moisture Supply.
When land is thoroughly pulver-
ized-that is. when the soil particles
are broken up very fine and of uni
form siZe-its capacity for absorbing
and holding water is greatly in
creased. Land that is hard and run
together neither takes in so much
water nor does 1t hold it so well. The
depth Of plowing also influences tie
storage capacity OF the soil for water.
The deeper the soil the larger the
amount of water it will hold.