The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-23

only slight and the outer ends shoulc
be well filled out and not chaffy.
The See Patch.
When ready to pant. select from
this lot Of corn as many ears as are
necessary for the seed patch, Of as
nearly uniform color, shape, and size
as possible. Remove the imperfect
and irregular grains at tip and butt
and plant the remainder in carefully
prepared ground. Have the seed patch
as far removed from other corn
fields as can be, SO as to avoid mix
ing. Give his patch special care
and cultivation, and practice the SAINT
care in selection each year. The patch
should not be too large; one-fourth
to one-half acre is ample for the
average farm. After making final
selection for the seed patch. the re
mainder of the selected corn can be
used for the main crop. BY keeping
up this practice of selection from year
to year a wonderful Improvement can
be made in the yield and quality OF
corn.
It has been demonstrated tina al
other conditions being equal, an ave
age increase in the yield over com
mon corn of from three to five bushels
per acre can easily be made the first
year. AS the whole crop is improved,
Of course this rate Of increase will not
be SO rapid, but if persisted in from
year to year the careful selection OF
seed will have an ultimate marked
effect upon the corn yield.
How the Farmer May Profit by Seed
Selection.
The farmer who follows his prac-
tice OF seed selection persistently viii
not only be repaid in the increased
yield Of his corn, but he Will soon
find that hn 90 ~ nyo ~ n mfr =
premium for it from his less progress
sive neighbOrs by selling it to them
for seed AT q price much greater thar
ordinary seed corn commands The
satisfaction of knowing hat he has q
better corr for his conditions thar
can be purchased at any price Will be
an additional compensation.
The South is in greater need OF
improved varieties of corn than is
the case with any of her other crops
Cotton has received fairly good at
tentiOn. but the corn crOp has been
sadly neglected. Our people are be
ginning to realize its Importance. aud
quite a remunerative field of indus
try awaits the farmer who viii make
a business of raising reliable seed
corn. Owing to the fact that corr is
SO easily influenced by a change Of
climate and soil, the field for this
industry is very broad and is not
likely To become crowded.
termination Test for Seed Corn.
A great amount of trouble in Sc
curing stands from all purchased
seed, and especially that of corn. is
due to the fact that much seed so 30
tanned IS Of low vitality. When it is
necessary to purchase seed corn. the
seller should always be required to
guarantee a termination Of 100 per
cent. Always buy seed corn upon the
ear; then you can form some idea
of what is being purchased. After
wards test its gerIninative pOwers.
Have an ordinary box about II
inches wide, Is inches long, and II
inches deep. Put into the bottom 8
inches of horse dung, wetting it Well
and packing it into the box. On top of
this place 2 inches of well-dampened
or thin cloth into the box on top of
this. The muslin should previously
have been marked into 1-inch squares
With q pencil or ink, these squares
being numbered. Now number the
ears to be tested to correspond with
the a Take three grains of
corn from each ear, one near the butt
one at the middle, and one near the
tip, ia king each grain from a different
row. Place each set of grains on
the square of muslin corresponding to
h of the ear. When all
the squares or as many as YOU have
ears to be tested, are occupied cover
them with several thicknesseS Of a
damp, heavy cloth and set he whole
in q warm place.
In about seven or eight davis or
even in a shorter time if the Uaathor
is warm, the grains and taka
for seed only those ears from u-hiah
all the rains have germinated Tbie
p~recauton will avoid much d~isappoint-
rnent in securing stands.
S. A. KNAPP.
Special Agent in Cbarge
Approved:
3. 7. GALLOWAY
Chlef of Bureau.