The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-06-18
GROWING SWEET CORN FOR
SEED.
The Following Suggestions Must
Be Applied With Common
Sense and Due Regard to Local
Conditions.
lBy CHAS. y. WOODS.)

iSY CHAS. II. WODDS.)
General observation shows beyond
nUy question that the farmers who
arr most successful with sweet corn
are thOse who employ the following
rules Plant early. use plenty of ma
nure and high-grade commercial fer
tilizcr. keep the corn clean from weeds
and well cultivated, do not plant too
thirh use seed well adjusted to the
locality in which it Is to be grown
The following detailed plan is drawn
UP for the guidance of farmers who
desire TO improve their sweet corn
se.d.
First years work: In the first
year, work towards an improved
strain If seed, only the field selections
OF plants from which ears are later
to ne used for planting can be made.
These selections should be made Of
the growing plants in the field. IN
choosing plants to be saved for seed
look out for the following points in
the order named. In going over the
field one should provide himself with
come strips Of cheap bright cOlored
cloth about two feet long and two
t. three inches wide. When 4 stalk
is selected to be saved for seed one
ot these cloths should be tied around
it lust below the tassel. This marks
lAt bldft SO bfldI II Will De saved
when the rest Of the crop is cut.
/ Whatever other good points a
stalk may have do not save it for
seed unleSS it is COnSpicuOusly earlier
than the others around it. This is
most important.
? Take only stocky plants with
broad leaves bearing good sized. and
50 far as can be judged at this stage,
well shaped ears.
). Take only stalks which show
the characters which are typical for
the variety you are working with.
Avoid freaks.
The field in which selections are
made must obviously be cut by hand.
so that the marked plants may be
left standing to mature their ears.
Save about twice as many plants in
the leld as you expect to want ears
Tor planting the breeding plot Of next
year.
When the selected plants are well
m4tGred stalks and husks dead and
drying they should be harvested and
the ears should be husked and cared
ior IN the following manner: In the
winter. after the ears from these
plants are we'll dried on the rocks
the best Of them should be picked OUT
Tor smelling and planting. Special at
tenlion should be paid 10 the follow
Ing points:
l.. lake only ears having small
"eH-plcked grains n straight rows
ana with the grains set firmly on the
coh. select no ears with fewer thar
Aouftcen rows (better SiXteen).
Z. Ann to select ears of medium
hNe, nearly cylindrical in shape. ano
WIN butt and tip fairly we'll coYereC
with grain
. lest the termination Of each ca
oS taxing rs kernels from the middl,
VI tht ear Reject all ears from
"hl'h more than two kernels out o
DAYS
iiRFing selected the ears for plant
lhE. shell them. keeping the grain
from each ear by itself in a pape
.. u'S. 100 not save the kernels from
le outt and tip. say for about three
'out'hS inch from each end F,aCl
selected should be given a mum
ms number may be writer
vi 4 Slip Of paper and put in tn
"'- with the shelled seed.
second years work: The cor
SI'"Hid be planted each year in tw
p'"'S one the breeding plot and tn
"thrr the propagation plot. In plant
the corn for seed use the bes
IN Land YOU have and manure an
Iu|e 1t well. Plant the rows thre
tpart and the hills eightee
heS apart in the rows. Plant fou
- "eIS to the hill and thin to leav
tin lWn best stalks standing in tn
''Ne the plots the best cultiva
t"I you can.
thr breeding plot should b
"'A, q the selected ears Each ca
l't5td 3r planted in one row by it
his IS called the ear-to-rov
tb'''' ~ Ihc rows should be give
Huhhcr horne b. the err plante
~ It Careful onscryot;o, shoi,ld h
,,lad' thronchout The season. Fac
S1nnid u" harNartea separated,
- NLvII 0ni..-ninnA anl The ears fro1