The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1914-12-09
Our Corn Specialist
Gives Helpful Hints
Selection And Care of Seed Corn
Dealt With by Experienced IL
linois Corn Man
&C. E. Thayer.)

In the SelectlOn OF SEED corn, can
not see any difference, as far as elm
ate and location are concerned, be-
tween conditions here in Minnesota
and in Illinois. But one thing is sure;
you must, if you want strong ger
mination seed, pick corn at a time
when all the moisture is gone and
before the first hard freeze. l feel
that no one line of effort will more
materially help the average farmer
of the United States than careful Sc
lection of seed corn, in his seed plot
and fields.
While we are aware that it is not
advisable for the general farmer to
become corn breeder, yet, after Sc
curing a pure-bred strain of corn, he
can materially help in the way of
improving this corn and at the same
time acclimate it thoroughly to meet
it's future environment on his farm.
If the corn is properly attended to,
there would be no such thing as the
running out process noticeable, but
from year to year the corr would
give better yields and bring general
gatisfat Ton.
First Selection
The two methods of selection which
we would like to recommend at the
present time, are, frst-plant seIec-
ton from the field. In this the farm
err should go into his corn field while
the corn is in the milk. He should
select certain rows of corn and fol-
low those rows and mark with binder
Irvine or something which would dis
tingu.sh the corn plant readily after
the plants had ripened.
There are several characteristics
that should be carefully noted in this
first selection: first-general super
vision Of the entire plant; second
the ear should come out on the plant
between three and four feet above the
ground. This ear should come out
en- \ shank of medium length and
not real lengthy shank or short
one which would carry the ear either
a long distance from the plant or put
it close up to the plant The leaf
development Of the plant should re-
ceive careful consideration as Il is
advisable to have a corn plant Of a
great deal of leaf surface. This is
particularly true where large por-
tion Of the corn is to be used for
silage purposes. By making care
full selection for leaf surface you not
ONLY Get a corn of wonderful yielding
power, but you gradually secure stalk
which will be very succulent and ex-
ceptionally fine for silage purposes
If the farmer makes a practice of
selling seed to his neighbors or else
where, it is an admirable practice to
make a selection of those plants which
have merely one good ear. We IN
crease the percentage of seed ears
very much by following this prac-
tice. and experiments on the Wiscon-
sin station show that a greater yield
can he secured from corn that has
been bred for the yielding of one
ear 70 the plant than from corn thas
gives on an average more than one
ear 10 the stalk.
A good strong root development
should also be taken into consider :
ton. and the stalk which is of medium
height is preferable to one that Is
very tall or very short.
Have a Corn Plot
After the first plant is selected ano
marked, other plants should be marked
that have as nearly as possible the
same characteristics as the first plant
marked. BY following this mode OF
procedure. several hundred plants car
be indicated that are very uniform IL
character. If possible, two or three
hundred plants should be selected, 81
that there would be sufficient corr
to put in four or five-acre lot aftel
making another selection, and testing
after the corn has been harvested
In this way the farmer can always
have portion of his field in VIVA
is known as high grade corn plot.
This corn plot need not necessarily
be by itself. but can be some OF hi
corn planted in connection with tn
general field of the same variety. Hi
seed corn can always be selected from
this particular plot, and he can al
ways go through the plant selection
the second year. similarly to the wa!
he did the first. BY this method O
procedure. he will naturally increas'
the producing power and high per
centage of yield to the general cor
in his field.
Other Methods
The second method, where his de