Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-04-18

To farmers who look ahead the
seed grain situation in South Dakota
at the present time is alarming Good
seed corn, particularly is hard to find
This is because Of the unfavorabie
weather that prevailed last fall at
husking time. Very few farmers took
the pains to select their seed corn
before harvesting the field. Frost
and rainy weather got in their best
ucks, and as a result, thousands OF
farmers have corn that won't grow
The seed wheat situation is scarce
u II at all better. A good deal OF
wheat remained II the stacks during
much OF the rainy spell we had in the
early fail, anG of course some OF 1t
xerminaled end was spoiled. More
over, the wheat crop was decreased
By last summers drought. Hence.
there is very little good seed wheat
n the state.
The Agronomy Department OF the
South Dakota State College has been
making termination tests Of seed
corn, wheat, barley, oats, flax, alfalfa,
clover, ETC., sent in by farmers living
in various parts of the state. The re-
suits ave instructive in that they
throw mere light on the seed situa-
ton for the whole state than can be
got in any other way, because nearly
every county is represented by a sam
PIE OF seed of some kind or other.
However, we believe that these re-
suits are just a trifle better than the
I, g. 1ol~ $ofa
since many who send in seed to be
tested say that they have taken good
care of it, Besides, farmers who be-
stir themselves enough to send SAM
pies of seed for termination tests,
show thereby that they are awake to
the Importance Of sowing only good
seed-a statement that cannot be
made of all farmers in the state.
OF 26 samples of corn germinated
for farmers, only six samples tested
above 80 per cent; only IL above 80
per cent; ard IA were below 80 pei
cent. The average percentage for the
Rs samples was 68 per cent. Not {
single kernel OF one sample grew, anc
another tested only per cent. This
means that II this corn is planted
next spring, only two-thirds of stanl
can be obtained at best; and it We
make allowance for unfayorabls
weather at planting time, we shall
have to lower this estimate consider
Rbly.
The average percentage Of five sam
pies OF wheat tested was 70. Tw,
samples tested G7 per cent each, ant
one 94 per cent. This means tina
one-fiftn more seed must needs b
sowed to get @ good stand. Tests o
two samples OF barley also gave al
average OF 70 per cent. One sampl
OF oats tested so per cent. These fig
ures show that the small grain see
situation is far from the best. The
further prove the necessity 0f testtn
seed before it is sowed.
Testing the termination Of sma
grain is very simple thing to dt
nary dinner plate Or pie pan. an
place in it a moistened cloth q
blotter. Then count out 100 seeds {
the grain you wish to test, making u
selection, but simply taking them a
Tou come to them. Distribute tnes
seeds over the cloth or blotter SO thu
they are not crowded, and over th
whole put an inverted dinner plat
or pie pan to prevent evaporation Z
moisture. Set TIE seed pans or plate
IN a warm room, and in the cours
OF 4 or days YOU will lind the seed
ready to be counted out and the pc
centage Of viaDle seeds determine
Al syou-used 100 seeds in the teststt
number Of sasds that aTow vin l