Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-22
THREE.FOBRTHS CORN is BAD
Alarming Condition Developed by
Test of the Seed.
OF 200 EARS ONLY IS ARE GOOD

Bad ~ IL the Condition Of Corn
in Nebraska, That in Iowa Is
stIn Worse, According
to Test.
There IL evident cause for alarm in the
seed corn situation in Nebraska, according
to the first extensive official test made OF
corn from all parts Of the state to the
Omaha Commercial club.
Here are the results OF the first test of
200 ears:
Number terminating strong with good
Number not growing and showing no
signs OF. lie 800. W
Number alive, but weak, small roots
NurnbeF miideved, some sproutine be-
fore rot started ~
'"tIs ''r 9O
Actual number III FOR seed.."""".." IS
Ears worthless for seed ......."....... lb
II all the seed corn Nebraska farmers
intend to- plant this year IL as poor as
these 200 samples, just IN per cent OF IL
will grow and the state will have just a
little better than one-fourth of a crop.
1t was really a sad sight when the Com
meroial club termination box was opened.
Six kernels had been taken from each Of
200 ears last Thursday and placed In the
box. which was kept in the steam heated
rooms until Monday. Forty OF the little
cups were without a sign Of life, which
means 20 per cent Of the corn will not grow
Al, all. In sixty-three cups the kernels had
sproutea. hut some had no roots and others
had roots so weak they we're not worth
consideration. ..
Some Almost widowed.
But the worst looking cups were the
forty1twoA filled with rotting corn-some
cups almost full OF mildew.
Thus the result OF the test shows that
l5 out Of go ears are unfit for seed. some
might produce stalks, but would never give
the farmeFs ears.
While this percentage is low, It would
have been lower Mad not one sample of
ten ears come from a professional corn
grower who tests his seed, and the sample
was either previously tested or taken from
stock which had tested high. All ten of
these ears grew and showed their ability
10 produce strong roots. Other than these
the best samples OF corn came from the
Watson ranch near Kearney.
The samples tested were from Petersburg,
Blair, Kearney, Newmans Grove, Water
100, Norfolk, Hadar, Clay Center Clark
son, Concord, Wakefield, colridge, Omaha
and two samples from grain companies
which did not give information as to where
the seed was secured.
Iowa stan Worse Off.
As low as the Nebraska corn tests 1t
gave in this test three times as many
strong ears as a test Of Iowa corn made
by a Des Moines paper which showed only
eight ears in 100 would produce strong
roots and sprouts. Indicating its ability
TO produce corn. -" $50 d
One Of the best samples came from
Clarkson. 1t was In two lots, seventeen
ears altogether. Only one failed to show
life; nine were good, strong ears and seven
rather weak-too weak to plant. No mil
dew was present in any Of the samples
from CIarkson! Samples from Kearney
and vicinity were also free from mildew,
while from Concord, Wakefield and Col
ridge came samples which widowed badly
and would rot in the ground &c planted.
Douglas county samples showed 50 per
cent good seed. but SOME samples of yellow
corn mildewed quite badly. Is'f
This test was made In one OF the patent
testers, but said by experts to be one of the
best which can be dsed, More than 100
banks in Iowa have used the tester the last
month in demonstrating that Iowa corn
must be tested.
How Test Ia Made. .A
Placed in the tester. water at 80 degrees
was placed entirely over the corn and it
was soaked for fifteen hours. All the
water was drawn offAnot a drop being al
lowed TO remain in the cups With the
Kernels. After twentylfour hours the trays
were sprinkied and all the water drawn off.
The room was from IS to IS degrees during
the three days the sample were in the
gerninator. .sf' #f
The Commercial club has sufficient
samples to make another test Of 200 ears,
half OF which viii be placed in a tester,
where damp dirt is used. the other half in
the water tester used for the first 200
samples. A1 f'"7