Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1911-05-02

POOR
SEED CORN
WHAT 1T COSTS
HOW TO TEST IT
BY D. w. WORKING,
Superintendent Agricultural
Extension,
West Virginia University.

TTFTPTTFTFTFTTT
As a result of testing eighty ears OF
corn selected at random from those
exhibited at the state corn show III
January the students of the short
course at the College of Agriculture
found that 20 per cent, or one-fifth,
of them were worthless for seed.
Planting an ear which will not grow
means loss of from two to five bush
els per acre at harvest. Thus the man
who plants ten acres of corn with
seed of which one-ffth fails to germl-
nate loses from so to $50 bushels Of
corn worth from $50 to SIS at 80
cents a bushel
1t is known that seed corn through
out the central states is poorer as re-
CARDS termination than it has been
for years, so that the wise farmer will
test his seed corn at once or buy only
that which has been tested and is
guaranteed over IS per cent perfect,
which he should check by making his
own tests of it.
The termination Box.
Make a box foot wide, four feet
long and two inches deep. Fill it with
sand and set it in warm place. Then
lay it off in two inch squares by
means of Irvine fastened to tacks
placed at two inch intervals along che
sides and ends of the box Beginning
at one corner, number along the side
of the box from l to "a; and from the
same point letter across the end from
A to G. The corn planted in the
corner next to / and A will be num-
bered Al; that in the opposite corner
will be GA.
Taking the Sample.
A box of the size described will
provide for testing 144 ears of corn
enough, if four-ffths of the ears are
good, to plant eight or ten acres. The
kernels should be taken from different
parts of the ear Six grains are enough
for a fairly satisfactory test; though
some farmers are satisfied with five
and others, including myself, prefer to
use ten grains from each ear A two
luCn SQUARE Will ACCOMMODATE ltu
grains fairly well.
Arranging the Sample.
In planting the corn in tester great
care should be taken. Taking the
grains from the first ear press them
In the sand in the square numbered
Al, and Immediately give the ear that
number. Plant from the next ear in
the square numbered 81, and SO on
till the row is full, marking each ear
to correspond with the square. Then
begin the next cross row and number
the ear from which it is planted Az;
and so on to the last corner, G23, if
you are testing 144 ears. If you have
but fifty ears to test q much smaller
box will serve your purpose.
Care of the termination Box.
After the corn is planted in the
tester sprinkle enough sand over the
box to cover every grain completely
Over the whole box spread an old
blanket or a few thicknesses of bur-
lap. Then sprinkle with water often
enough to keep the sand moist Keep
the box in warm room, as heat is
essential for satisfactory termination.
In few days, if the room is reason
ably warm, the corn will begin TO
sprout. In a week all of it that is
good ought to be up. The condition
of the corn can be examined from day
to day by turning back the cover.
The Results.
When most of the corn has begun n
show above the surface of the sand
it may be necessary to remove the
covering. If most of the corn is up in
a week, it will be safe to guess that
the rest is dead or too weak to be fit |
for seed. Then the careful work Of
counting must be done If square DIS
shows only half as many sprouts a.
there were grains feed ear DID to The |
chickens. Indeed, if any square shows
any dead grains it will be well to dis |
card the ear from which that square
was planted.
Try II.
If you plant but one acre of corn
such test will pay You better for n |
few hours time than any other way
you can spend it. Cost is practically |
nothing If consistently used its value /
will surprise you. So try It!