University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1911-09-13
ADVISED TO CHOOSE
SEED CORN At ONCE
Iowa Agricultural Man Asks
Farmers Not Wait Un-
til Spring.
FROST INJURIES THE EARS
Becomes Harder to Determine
Immature From Mature
Ears Later.

Thousands of farmers had to re
plant their corn last spring, ant
then had only one-half to twO-third'
of a stand because they waited unit
husking time to save their seed. Il
every ear of corn that is to be USED
next year could be harvested this fal
not later than September 80 ant
hung up where it would dry out
Thoroughly before the freezing
nights of October and November
have weakened or killed it, it would
add millions of dollars to the wealth
of the country. say those who are
acquainted with the situation.
1t is not well to wait until the
time of husking to save the Occas-
iOnal good ear, it is said. Much of
the seed planted in the spring is bad.
not because it was not cared for dur
ing the winter, but because it was
selected as the corn was husked and
bad already been killed and weak
ened by freezing.
1t requires from twelve to fifteen
cars to plant an acre, and the farm
ers are being asked if they can afford
to leave these ears in the field and
to husk corn during November and
risk having them killed or weakened
by freezing.
4 Loss Last Fall.
Let us not forget the condition
that so many of our farmers exper-
fenced last fall by having Jack Frost
visit the seed corn before we had Sc
cured that for next years planting"
says Prof NJ. l.. Bowman of Water
loo, secretary of the Iowa Corn
Growers Association. Every farm
or knows that low temperature will
seriously injure his seed corn, es-
pecially when the corn contains
large amount of moisture. If We go
out into our corn fields right now
it will be found that in the same hill,
for example. two stalks of corn each
bearing an ear. each ear about the
same size and possibly with the ex-
Coption of maturity practically equal.
and yet one of them will have the
husk truning brown. the corn well
into the dent. matured sufficiently
to pick for seed; while the other ear,
although growing on a stalk in the
same hill, will be found to be very
immature, containing a high percen-
tage of moisture and unfit for seed
purposes.
Now. if you were to pick your
seed corn today, what would you do?
Why. of course. you would pick the
well-matured ear and discard the
other one. But suppose you do not get
your seed corn now, but leave it un-
til it is time to fill the crib and you
come to the same hill containing the
two stalks with the same two ears
II would be impossible to tell which
of the two ears matured before the
other one. and what will you do?
you will take them both
for seed. 1t would mean millions of
bushels of corn in increased yields
per acre to the state if her farmers
would go into the field this month
and pick well matured ears right off
the stalk"
By this method it will not be nec-
cssary to take small inferior ears,
says Mr. Bowman. When it is con-
sidered that only twelve or fifteen
ears are required to plant an acre
the saving is obvious. He does not
believe it will be necessary next
spring to run seed corn trains to il
lustrate the poor condition of the
seed if the farmers would select
their seed corn before the cold
weather and hang it up in a proper
place for storage.