The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-01-10
CULTIVATION THE MAIN THING
Northern and Mexican Strains Used
as Parents Gave a Seed Which,
Less Than Half Normal Rainfall,
Produced 20 Bushels an Acre.

near this place, believes he has prop
agated a variety of corn that is pc
culiarly adapted to regions of uncer-
tain rainfall and hot winds. In sup
port of his belief, Mr.. Seay offers
the fact that in 1909 with less than
half normal rainfall he raised an
average of sixty bushels of this corn
to the acre, and in 1910, still with
less than half normal rainfall, he in
rceased this average to seventy bush
els an acre. He hopes in 1911 to ge,
an average of one hundred bushels to
the acre.
Year for year, the Oklahoma farm
er would be pleased if his average
corn yield did not fall below forty
bushels an acre. Mr. Seay attribut-
es his success to the care given by
him to seed, soil and cultivation.
Mr. Seay was born at Moulten,
Ala, was student in the University
OF Texas and settled in Pottawatomie
county in 1900, where he soon found
himself confronted with the problem
that troubles most Oklahoma corn
growers-planting early and trying
to mature the crop before the arrival
of the midsummer dry weather He
knew that his seed was a variety of
An ntst hnr hA mini e
long line of inbred kin, and pro-
ably had lost much of its viaiity. He
decided to change his plan of grow
ing corn by planting in midsummer.
He began looking for new seed
corn that had become Injured to dry
weather conditions. He crossed this
corn with Bloody Butcher, a variety
known to most farmers, thereby ac-
climating the Mexican variety.
Il produced" said Mr., Seay, what
might be called a new type of corn.
1t has not reached perfection, yet
| consider | have a very fair article.
My system of propagation deviated
in many ways from the old system,
but rhe results were practically the
same. I crossed and cancelled out.
Though the crossing was begun more
than four years ago, my new type or
variety does not date back more than
two years.
Il plant not earlier than the first
of June. The ears are medium in
size and the grains soft, rather than
flinty. The stalks are large and thrift
ty and about 90 per cent of them now
bear two ears each. At first the
ears were small and | rarely found
stalk bearing more than two ears. In
the next two years | expect to in
crease the number of ears to an aver
age of three to the stalk and to bring
the size of the ears to that of Bloody
Butcher. Usually it takes about
eighty days for this corn to mature,
but | have harvested some in seventy
days. | never snap or husk until
after frost, as the foliage is. an ever.
green until frost comes"
Mr.. Seay gives closest attention ot
cultivation. He says that the seed
bed should be deep and mellow, ana
should be plowed in fall or winter to
a depth of from eight to fifteen
inches, according to soil; shallow
soil cannot make proper termination
ana growth, and a shallow seedbed
will not store sufficient moisture 10
supply corn though a protracted
drought. After the soil has been pre-
pared surface cultivation should keep |
retarded until June /, when the seed !
should be planted after a lister. This |
new corn should not be planted less
than fifteen inches apart on rich bot
tom land, and from thirty to thirty
six inches on upland and then thin
ned to one stalk in a hill before it is
twelve inches tall. When the corn
IS large enough to work harrow down
The lister ridges, and in three or four
lays give it deep cultivation, and ar
.er this shallow cultivation once ev-
cry ten or twelve days until the rid
ses are level. Shallow cultivation
should always be given after a rain,
md a float or large sweep should be