The Mena weekly star., 1913-09-18
gobn D, page's
 O0areklp getter
Preparing for Next Year.

The time is drawing near to De-
 gin preparations for next year s
 crops. Two matters of importance
 should be considered right now. One is seed selection and the other
 is deep fall blowing The seed corn
 for planting next spring can be se-
 lected during October and NoVem- Der. The best plan Is to go through the field and select the best ears by hand and put them away to dry. You can make good rack for dry ing corn for seed by the use of woven wire fencing. Take two strips six feet long and place a suf- ficient number of siN-inch blocks between the strips and fasten them with staples. so they would have the same appearance as If two strips of wire fencing were fast ened on each side of fence posts. The ears of corn can be placed through the wire meshes, letting one end of the ear rest in the mesh of one strip of wire and the other end of the ear in the mesh of the other strip. This will make sim pie homemade rack that can be suspended from the rafters in the barn if you like. and will make a good way of drying the seed corn. In selecting the ears get the best iilled-out ones from strong stalks.
 There are various simple methods of testing the seed for germination. You can take piece of domestic and mark it off in squares. Then take three or more grains from each ear. place them in the squares and number OF tag the ear accord ingly. Take The grains from differ ent parts of the ear. Then cover the cloth with another and roll 1t up and wrap it in a piece of an old sack, or some such material. After this, soak it in warm water for about thirty minutes, and then take it out and lay away where it cannot freeze. Keep it moist until the corn sprouts well. Then make an examination of the grains. If they eerminate well and the roots put out are strong and healthy, save the corresponding ears. If not, dis card them. Continue these tests through the winter, as you have time. and when spring comes you will have good and reliable seed to plant. Seed corn that will germi- nate only 80 per cent will depreci- ate your yield ten bushels per acre, if your land will produce at the rate of fifty bushels per acre.
 Test your cotton and grain seed too. By all means select your cot- ton seed this fall, taking into con- sideration the stock development and the boIl. and all the character islics that make good cotton. You will profit by it. By all means break your land, or as much of it as possible, this fall. and break it deep. IL is safe to go two inches deeper than you have ploWed dur
 ing the past year. Ii will pay in
 nos, instances to use a sub-soiler after the turning blow. Remember that just as deep as you blow your land this fall you will have a stor- age for water and plant food next year when the crop is growing. The drouth of the past season should the importance of deep fall blowing.
 We have good folks and good farmers in Arkansas, and I want to see all of the farmers getting the benefit of the best methods. Begin now to prepare for better farming next year. Do not overlook the im- pOrtance of stock. Look well after the brood sows. Now is the time to get good male if you haven't one. With a good male you can take the scrub hogs and soon have a good strain of stock hogs. Breed the sOws in November and December. so the pigs will come early in the spring. and make mature hogs next fall and winter. and be ready for meat, instead of having to be win