Licking Valley courier., 1913-07-17


and could therefore Withstand freezing
and thawing without injury. The aver
age termination of seed corn through
out the state for 1009-10 as shown by
these samples is $50 per cent. The
average stand secured from this corn
was 59.5 per cent.
Seed corn dried with artificial heat
in we'll ventilated rooms during the
first two or three weeks after picking
gives the highest termination, an av-
erage Of 91.5 per cent for the two
years Next to this Is corn cured in
furnace rooms with open windows
where the heat was applied immediate.
ly after bringing the corn from the
field. Well ventilated rooms and gar
rets with more than one window gave
examinations Of SG5 per cent and 84.5
per cent respectively. Corn cured un-
der porches protected from rains gave
20 per cent; corn in barns, tool houses,
ETC., 90 per cent
, The granary has proved snare and
this is good place for drying seed
corn. The moisture from the grain in
granaries, like the moisture from ami
! mails in barns, enters the cells of the
corn, and the freezing weather which
! follows destroys its vitality. Wind
mills and the outside of buildings and
corncribs proved the poorest places to
cure seed corn.
In this study of seed curing much
corn was found which was destroyed
by lying in piles or standing in sacks
for a short time after husking. The
only safe way Of curing seed corn Is
therefore to place the corn Immediately
after picking in well ventilated room
and apply artificial heat for from one
to three weeks.
The grading Of the seed, the calibra-
tion Of the planter and the weather
and soil at planting time are, Of course,
other factors which have their inhu-
ence. The greatest variation, diff
ference of 13 per cent, is found In the
case of corn stored In granaries. The
average termination of all kinds Of
corn for 190010 is $50 per cent, and
the average stand is 500 per cent, a
very close parallel.
The methods for securing good seed
corn and obtaining a good stand are,
briefly, using high yielding variety
sufficiently early to mature In the To-
cality where grown; selecting only
well ripened, perfect ears from vigor-
GUS stalks before the entire field is
ripe; storing each ear separately; dry
\ ing with artificial heat In n we'll ven.
tilated room Immediately after pick
ing; testing each ear for termination;
grading the seed and celebrating the
planter to suit each grade of corn;
growing seed corn from we'll selected
seed in seed plots where barren stalks
may be removed
The spacing of rows and hills Of corn
and the number of kernels per hill
vary with latitude and soil fertility and
the variety The richer the soil the
closer can the corn be planted.
Special emphasis has been placed
upon narrowing corn several times
soon after planting and in cultivating
corn with single horse cultivators,
when the corn is tasseling- and set
ting ears. Care has been exercised at
this cultivation TO run the cultivators
shallow to avoid cutting the roots
which at this time come very close to
the surface. Shallow, level cultiva'
tion practiced at number of places
particularly after showers during the
drought OF midsummer formed dust
mulches and conserved the soil mols
ture for the use Of the corn.
Inquiries ut farmers meetings show
ed that only 20 per cent Of the farmers
in the state owned tanning mills. The
losses from weed seeds annually intro
duced on a farm through uncleaned
grain would amount to more than thu
cost Of tanning mill.
A sufficient supply of grains for seet
purposes should be carefully cleaned
soon after thrashing and stored II
small bins, where danger Of heating Il
removed. Too often the seed is pre-
pared Immediately before seeding time
taken from the bottom OF large bins
where heating and bin burning hav,
lowered the vitality, and sown wlthou
cleaning.
'Pin oats,'' the small kernels of oats
multiply much more rapidly than III,
larger kernels. Where the small ker
nels are not removed from the seeC
by sleves and wind the size OF kerne
thus rapidly dlmlnlshes Grains thu
"run OUT by lack Of care and clean
ing of the seed rather than from tn
causes TO which this condition is com
monty attributed.
At all of the farms the method o
treating seed grains with formaldehyd
for the eradication Of smut was den
onstrated by actual application I
!, grain at the meeting and to seed graf
used during the season. The solution
used consisted OF one pint OF 40 pc
cent formaldehyde mixed with thirty
six gallons Of water. The solution wa
placed In barrel or tank, aud tn
|, grains placed In gunny sacks were sui
merged In this for ten minutes Afte
being removed and allowed to dral
I for ten minutes the grain was place
, In heap on barn floor and covere
: with wet blankets. The formaldehyd
= gas being held In the pile by the we
: blankets makes the treatment NOR
: effective. After two hours the gral
+ was spread on the floor and shovele
$ over at intervals until dry. VI
Growing tests at various places wit
!, seed furnished by the station contall
k Ing 20 per cent of smut demonstrate
Y clearly that this can all be removed b
$ the treatment. At Oshkosh the llel
t sown with treated seed was entirel
ii fraa from amut mud vlnidpd tnn hnsl