Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-01-22
DEMONSTRATION PERKINS WR1TES
ABOUT SEED CORN SELECTION.
Gives Technical Training and Says
For Work Involved Nothing Pays
Better Than Seed Selection.

for Henderson county, who has work
ed up a large number of seed cor ex-
hibits for the corn show to be held
here on Saturday of this week, on
request has furnished the Hustler
Democrat the following article, full OF
good meat and careful thought, which
could doubtless be studied with much
profit by the farmers of this county:
In the production of better farm
crops, the use of good seed is of the
greatest Importance. The quality Of
the seed and the quantity and value
Of the crop are closely related. Within
the seed is the minute germ which has
all the characteristics of the preced-
ing generation of that species with
the modification which the previous
culture, soil, climate, and selection
have given it, and these it transmits
tc the future plants.
While types in seed are persistent
along general lines, variations con-
stantly occur. In a field planted with
the most carefully bred seed some
plants will always appear which differ
in some particulars fro mthe general
type. 1t is by selection and breeding
from desirable variations occurring in
this way that new varieties and i'm
proved strains of seed are frequently
established.
Seed selection is, then, necessary
either to originate new varieties OF
strains of seed or to keep an establish
ed variety pure and of high excellence.
/ To originate new varieties is work for
the seed breeders rather than for the
i general farmer. But every farmer
should plant only high-grade seed Of
the variety best suited to his soil and
climatic condition, and keep it pure
and productive by careful, intelligent
selection. BY high grade or pure
bred seed is meant seed that will pro-
dEce uniform plants alike in appear
aree, habit of growth, maturity, pros
du-ctiveness, and quality of fruit. For
the amount of labor involved, no work.
upon the farm pays better than seed
selection.
Corn is one of the easiest plants to
modify with which the farmer has to
deal, and there is 10 plant that will re-
sDond more quickly to intelligent eff
forts at Improvement. Corn is also
very susceptible to the effect of a
change of climate or soil condition.
hence it is very difficult to predict that
the best variety at n place will prove
to be the best in another locality.
Owing to these facts we are liable TO
many disappointments in purchasing
new varieties of corn, and this empn-
ashes the Importance of at least one
farmer in each community making il
a business to select his seed corr
with a view to obtaining the best va
NM r:ety for his selection. In fact, this
Improvement of corn by selection Is
so simple that there is no reason Wn3
each farmer should not give 1t his at
teption. Unless this is done, e vii
soon d~eteriorate. and it will. be neces
sary TO purchase improved e corr
il it is desired to obtain the best re
suits.
" An ideal ear of corn is nearly cylin'
drical in shape, tapering only sllgntl!
from the butt to tips. The rows O
corn should be straight and compact
commencing close to the shank, ani
!, good depth of grain almost the entire
: length of the ear. The cob should o.
of medium size, about one half tn
diameter of the ear at a distance O
1-3 of its length from the base, n tn'
length of the a should be about fou1
: times it's diameter. Extra large, lon
eors should be avoided as much al
small ears.
The farmer who follows this prac
: tice of seed selection persistently vii
:. not only be repaid by the increases
= Weld of corn, but he will soon 1nt
, that he can command quite a premium
for it from his less progressive neigh
2 bors by selling it to them for seed a
: a price much greater than ord1nar!
: seed corn commands. The satisfac
- ton of knowing that he has a bette
corn for his conditions than can D.
~purchased at any price will be an ad
ditional compensation. The south ]
in greater need of improved varietie
Ct corn than is the case with any Q
the many other crops.