The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-03-21
Holden Says Seed Corn is Poor ant
Should be Tested.

Des Moines, Iowa, March 9.-The
critical condition that faces Iowa
farmers this spring relative to seed
corn is concisely outlined and some
valuable suggestions made to farm
ers in a letter that has just been
written by Perry G. Holden to Mr..
Mr. Ralph Bolton, secretary of the
Greater Des Moines Committee,
which realizing the Importance of
Iowas corn crop to the general pros
perity of the state has Joined in the
campaign for seed selection. The
letter follows:
Dear Sir:-Replying to your re-
quest and also to the many inquir-
les from farmers throughout the
state relative to the condition of seed
corn, will say there is no doubling
the fact that, generally speaking, it
is in bad condition, and this is es-
pecially true where the seed was not
harvested during the latter part of
September or during the first few days
fear there will be a very great
scarcity and that many will have con-
siderable difficulty in securing a SUI
fcient amount of good seed. While
the condition in Iowa is not as bad
as it was two years ago, yet twill be
more difficult to procure seed, as
other states are also short.
Iowa farmers must depend upon
Iowa seed: First, because home
grown seed gives better results and
second, because other states, with
the exception of Indiana, are in
worse condition than Iowa and will
have none to spare.
The large part of termination
tests that have been made show
there is no part Of the state that has
not suffered.
Every ear of corn intended for
seed should be tested. 1t is simply
a business proposition. There is alb
solutely nothing to lose and every
thing to gain. The tests this year
show the seed to be unusually freak
ish. In some lots every kernel for
third of the way from the butt is
dead while the rest of the ear germ
mated strongly Many ears are
dead on one side and alive on the
other. There will be big patches
that are dead on some ears while the
rest of the kernels are strong. ker-
nels for testing should be taken
from both sides of the ear from tip,
middle and butt. 1t is advisable that
this testing should be done at once,
i. e., during March, if possible, so
that this important part of the work
will not be neglected and also to en-
able us to secure seed from our
neighbors or other sources in case
we find that we do not have SUI
ficient amount left after throwing
out the mouldy, weak and dead ears.
In many cases seed corn that mas
the appearance of being good mas
been found to be in very bad condl-
ton. Nobody can afford to guess
that the 800 kernels on an ear OIL
corn will grow He should test it
and find out.
The following reports show the
conditions are equally as bad in
other states and that there will be
very little hope of securing seed
from outside of the state:
Severe shortage in Ohio.
every little surplus in Indiana
$50 short in Illinois than an ear
test will have to be made to get
seed" 49,,
. experts afraid the acreage will
have to be reduced in Minnesota
even with an ear test.
"Practically no seed corn in South
Dakota"
"Only half the seed in Nebraska
will terminate
kansas and Missouri have the
severest famine in seed corn they
have ever known
I'm most of the counties in Okla
homa there is not a single bushel
of seed corn"
"Iowa seedmen have so little seed
corn that they can supply only
light demand"
The fall rains and lateness OF
frost left the corn sappy or full OF
moisture. The husks did not open
up as usual and therefore it did not
dry out. This left the corn in the
very worst possible condition for the
unusual cold weather which came in
20 mr.