The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-09-24

- IOT pIOIltaDI0 corn crop the
following season. At this time
the seed is most abundant and the
very best can be obtained before it
has been in any way reduced in vital
ity. Many let the opportunity pass, ex-
pecting to purchase their seed corn in
the spring, but the Department Of
Agriculture's specialist in charge of
corn investigations advises that the
autumn is the best time to select good
seed.
The best place for the farmer to OBJ
tain seed corn is from fields on his
own farm, or in his neighborhood, that
were planted with variety which
has generally proved most successful
in that locality. Of course, if com
munity has an experienced and honest
corn breeder on whom it may rely, the
seed corn may be obtained from him.
The corn breeder who has demon
strated year after year the superiority
Of his corn will demand a special
price for his superior seed. Such corn
breeders are improving corn as cattle
breeders have improved cattle He has
used special methods that farmers gen
orally have not time to apply. Five
dollars bushel is not too much to
pay and will be profitable bargain
for both parties.
What Is Good Seed Con7
By far too many consider seed good
simply because it will grow. To be
first class, seed must be:
(1) Well adapted to the seasonal
and soil conditions where it is TO be
planted.
Gay Grown on productive plants Of a
productive variety.
(3) Well matured, and preserved
from ripening time till planting time
in a manner that will retain its full
Eigor.
The importance of the three require
ments Just enumerated has been demon
strated experimentally by the Depart
ment g Office Of Corn Investigations.
The results given briefly, as enumer-
ated, are ss follows:
(1) For series Of five years, r.
well-bred varieties were tested in 10
Northern states, equivalent lots of seed
being used in each state Varieties
that produced most in some states were
among the poorest in others.
(2) Seed ears taken from the high
est yielding rows Of ear-torow breed
ing plats have repeatedly produced bet
ter than seed ears taken from poorer
yielding rows. Seed ears from the best
producing stalks found in genera
field produced more than seed ears
taken without considering the pro
ductiveness of the parent stalks.
(3) Four bushels Of ears were di
v1ded into two equal parts, one part
being well taken care Of and the Other
placed in a barn as corn is ordinarily
cribbed. The well-preserved seed gave
3 yield on poor soil IL per cent high
er than the poorly preserved and q
per cent higher on fertile soil, notwith
standing tho fact that both lots Of
seed germinated equally well.
Seed Gathering Special Task.
At corn-ripening time drop all othe'
business and select an abundance Of
seed corn. The process is too impor
tant to be conducted incidentally while
husking. When selecting seed corn give
the process your entire attention. Get
the very best that is to be had anc
preserve It well, and your increased
yields will return you more profit thar
any other work you can do on YOU
farm.
The only proper way to select seef
corn is from the stalks standing where
they grew, as soon as ripe and before
the first hard freeze.
As soon as the crop ripens, g
through the field with seed-pickinf
bags and husk the ears from the stalk
that have produced the most corn with
out having any special advantages
such as space, moisture or fertility
Avoid tho large ears on stalks standing
singly with an unusual amount of spae'
around them. Preference should b.
given the plants that have produced
Fr,1