The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-03-23

Select Seed In Field.
Ear Characters no Indicator-So
FAR as known the appearance Of an
ear indicates nothing relative to its
producing power, provided it is sound
and well-matured.
Select in the F'ield-Seed should
be taken only from such parts Of the
field as have an even and about the
usual stand required. Ears should
be chosen from those plants that give
heaviest yields as compared with
those neighboring.
Stalks that are broken below the
ear. diseased or otherwise undesirable,
should be avoided.
Select Early-Seed should be Sc
lected as soon as mature, without
waiting for it to dry out.
Treatment and Storage.
"Drying-Upon bringing seed from
field 1t should at once be hung or laid
up. so that one ear will not rest upon
another. and where there is a good
circulation Of air. Precaution should
also be taken that nothing damage
the ears.
"Storing-When thoroughly dry
the seed should at once be placed in
barrels or boxes that may be closed
tightly If there are any signs Of
weavil In the corn or storage recepta-
Gle at this time, a few tablespoon
fuls Of carbon bisulphide should be
put In a dish and set upon the corn.
and the lids tightly fitted for from "a
to 2S hours. The lids should then he
raised and the poisonous gas allow
ed to escape. For each bushel Of
corn thus stored a pound of moth
balls or powdered napthalene should
be inclosed. The lids should be tight
ly closed at all times, except when
examining the seed or working with it.
"Receptacles for Storing--Alcohol
barrels or kerosine barrels that have
been famed inside to dispose of oil
are very good receptacles in which to
store seed. If they have lids that can
be made to fit tightly.
Heavy goods boxes may be readi-
ly made into good fumigating and
storage boxes by fixing a tight-fitting
lid. calking the cracks and protecting
the corners and edges from mice and
rats with strips or tin. A lining Of
heavy tar paper (such as used for
siding and roofing.) may also add to
the efficiency of such a box.
Test a Large Number of Selections
''The growers chance for finding
the exceptionally valuable individu-
ais is increased In proportion to the
number of tests that he makes. He
should test at least so selections, and
100 would be much better.
Seed Must Have Strong Vitality.
Only ears having bright, undamag-
ed kernels throughout should be re-
tanned.
The Test Plot.
"The test plot has for it's object the
accurate comparison of the productive
power of different ears Of corn.
1T should be located on land as
nearly uniform throughout as is pos
sible to secure. The chances for uni
form results may be greatly increas-
ed by unusually deep thorough pre-
paration of the land.
"The plot should grow one row
from the seed of each ear tested, and
the ear and It's row should be- given
the same number, which should be
carefully recorded and preserved for
further reference.
Each ear should be represented by
90 plants in as many hills.
zone plant from sub-standard
ear. should be grown in each hill with
those to be tested.
"The hills of corn snould be plant
ed by hand and in definite manner,
with two plants in a hill--one a sub
standard and the other a plant from
an ear being tested.
For the sake of general uniformity
let the first plant in the hill, that is,
the plant nearest the row ends at
which the work will naturally begin.
always be from the sub standard
seed and the plant from seed to be
tested always second in the hill and
from six to eight inches from the
sub-standard.
Sub-Standards.
~ sub-standard is seed taken from
single plant. 1t may come from
one or more Gin the case Of prolific
corn) ears Unusual care is taken to
discard any kernels of doubtful vi
fnI