Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-05-20
PLANTING CORN A
DIFFICULT WORK
SUGGESTIONS THAT ARE HELP.
FUL ALL ALONG THE LINE.
SHELLING AND Grading
Putting II Into Ground I, the Final
Factor That Determines Kind
Stand Secured.

iNttaltN TANNl'ls
It is an Acknowledged fact that the
average farmer gives too little heed
90 the kind and quality of his seed
corn within the next three weeks
practically all the corn win Doc plant
cd iu the state, and now is the time
to make sure the seed To- joe used
rs of the right sort IL would show
better business ability IL this had
been attended 10 before the planting
season was here, but if it has not
been looked after before there is stiu
time TO correct the oversight
one of the most progressive and
successful farmers recently made the
statement that he expected TO have
SO per cent perfect stand, or even
higher on his fields this season, This
means that 05 ont Of every 100 hills
contains two stalks no more no less
If this is secured and we know from
his previous experience that 1t win be
he will be able TO produce 20 bushels
Of corn per acre, II each hill produces
no more than a pound and one-halt Of
corn. Two twelve ounce ears per
Hill Is by no means an excessive
amount neither is the size Of the ears
greater than should be expected on
medium fertile soil. Seventy-five
bushels per acre, however, is more
than 90 percent higher than the av-
orage yield Of the whole state.
The yields secured during the past
five or more years, by this same far
mor, show that with the stand he se-
cures rs bushels per acre Is only an
average crop. The results secured by
one may be achieved by others If they
will give the matter the same sort Of
attention
Among the factors that 60 to in
splre better stands than the average
are; /, good vital seed; 2, careful she'll
ing and grading; 3, thorough seed
bed preparation; 4, adapting the plant
or 10 the seed to be used, and 8, pains
taking planting.
To obtain the first OF these, re-
qulres care and thought in the mat
ter Of selection and storage. These
points should have received attention
during the past fall and winter. If
neglected, then the only certain way
to insure the desirable stand is to yet
make an ear by ear test Of all your
seed, or to purchase tested seed from
some reliable party If you have a
kind and type Of corn especially suit
ed to your needs and your soil then
by all means test your own seed~in-
stead Of buying seed of some sort un-
proven on your farm and for your
purpose Testing seed, ear by ear, Is
not so difficult nor so tedious as 1t
would seem. The results are so
striking and so much in favor Of
testing, that the time and labor re-
Qurcd to do this work, is more eco
nomlcaly spent, and more profitable,
than any other single operation con
uected with the production OF corn
crop. Experiments in this and other
states and the experience of careful
farmers has proven that better stands
of corn are secured and better yields
result Invariably when tested seed
corn is used.
The Smelling and grading Of the
good seed you have provided is the
next step toward the better stand.
70 shell the corn with the ordinary
shcner is but to introduce a factor
that makes toward poorer stands.
The best shelters crack or break at
least few kernels from each ear.
These cannot give strong, vigorous
plants even tho they may germinate,
and commonly they fail to germinate
AT all. No matter how high the
termination test has been this source
of loss is cccasioned when the seed
is Improperly sheled, To overcome
this completely is to shell each car
by hand. While this is slow and
sometimes painful the results se-
cured are more than sufficient to
make up for the Inconvenience
When shclled with a sheller and
graded the broken kernels may ne
removed but those injured or only
cracked, are not sorted out. 1t is
also an excellent plan to shell the
seed corn each ear by itself in an old
basin or small box, since in this way
any undesirable ears may be elimi-
mated, should they fail to show their
undeslrablllty until shelling begins.
Grade the seed corn before shelling.
This is done by removing the small
tip kernels, the large and Irregular
butt kernels and scattering indivd-
ual kernels, Of irregular shape
throughout the body of the ear, leav-
ing on the cob only the uniform
kernels both In size and shape that
make up the body Of the ear, Shell
ing these now 10y hand ear by ear,
into some small dish and emptying
that after each ear Is shelled into a
large receptacle, effectually prevents
any possible source Of error or de-
crease in stand so far as need Is con-
cernedr The seed bed should be
sufficiently wen prepared TO provide
n deep, loose, mellow home for the
corn. The pulverlzatlon should be
SO complete that the grains Of corn
planted should be surrounded on