The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-04-21
West Virginia uniYersity.

IE
| AS a result Of testing eighty ears OF
corn selected st random from those
exhibited at the state corn show in
January the students Dc the short
course at the College Of Agriculture
found that 20 per cent or one.Hlth.
Of them were worthless for seed,
Planting an ear which will mot grow
means a loss OF from two 70 five bush.
i els per acre at harvest Thus the man
who plants ten acres OF corn with
seed Of which one-flFth fails to gerlnl.
nate loses from soto l50 bushels OF
corn worth from $50 TO SIS at so
cents a busheI.
It is kno&rh that seed corn through.
Que the cent<aI states Is poorer as re-
CARDS termination than it has been
for years, so that the wise farmer viii
test his seed corn at once or buy only
that which has been tested and IS
guaranteed over So per cent perfect
which he should check by making his
own tests of It.
4 ne GeTuaNaItoN COX
Make a box a foot wide, four feet
long and two inches deep. FIR 1t With
sand and set It In warm place. Then
lay It on in two inch squares ny
means of Irvine fastened to tacks
placed at two inch intervals along me
sides and ends of the box. Beginning
at one corner. number along the side
OF the box from to "a; and from The
same point letter across the end from
A to G. The corn planted in tho
corner next to / and A will be mum.
bered Al; that in the opposite corner
Will be GA
Taking the Sample.
"a boz Of the size described will
provide for testing 144 ears OF corn
enough. If four-fifths 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
inch square will accommodate ten
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 thcm
in the sand in the square numbered
Al, and Immediately give the ear that
number. Plant from the next ear IN
the square numbered B1, 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. II you have
but fifty ears to test 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 thicllnesses 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 10
show above the surface of the sand
It may be necessary to remove the
covering. II most Of the corn is up In
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 as
there were grains feed ear DID to the
chickens. Indeed, II any square shows
any dead grains It will be we'll to dis.
card the ear from which that square
was planted.
If you plant but one acre of corn
such test will pay you better for a
few hours time than any other way
You can spend II. Cost Is practically