East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-09-25

PAOAiboOiO CDTn crop LQe
following season. At this time
the seed Is most abundant and the
very best can be obtained before il
has been in any way reduced in vital.
ity. Many let tho opportunity pass, ex.
pecsing to purchase their seed corn in
the spring, but the Department of
Agrieulture'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
wero planted with variety which
has generally proved most successful
In that locality. OF course, if a com.
munity has an experienced and honest
corn breeder on whom II may rely, the
seed corn may be obtained from him.
Tho 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 a bushel is not too much to
pay and will be profitable bargain
for both parties
What Is Good Seed Con2
BY far too many consider seed good
simply because it will grow. To be
first class, seed must be:
(D Well adapted to the seasonal
and soil conditions where Il is TO be
planted.
(2) Grown on productive plants of a
productive variety.
(3) Well matured, aud preserved
from ripening time till planting time
In q manner that will retain its full
vigor
Tho Importance Of the three require.
ments just enumerated has been demon
strated eIperimentally by the Depart
ment's Office Of Corn Investigations.
The results given briefly, as enumer-
sted, are as follows:
O For 4 series Of five years, .l2
well.brod 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 n general
field produced moro than seed ears
taken without considering the pro
duetiycncss of the parent stalks.
(3) Four bushels Of ears were di
vidcd into two equal parts, one part
being well taken care Of and the other
placed In barn as corn is ordinarily
eribbed. The well-preserved seed CAV,
q yield on poor soil l2 per cent high
er than the poorly preserved and q
per cent higher on fertile soil, notwith
standing the fact that both lots Of
seed gorminated equally well.
Seed Gathering Special Task.
At corn-ripening time drop all othe'
business and select an abundance o.
seed corn. The process is too impor
tant TO be conducted incidentally whil'
husking. When selecting seed corn giv'
the process your entire attention. &c
the very best that is TO be had anC
preserve 1. well, and your increased
yields viii return you moro profit thar
any other work you can do on you
farm.
The only proper way 20 select seet
corn is from the stalks standing where
they grew, as soon as ripe and befor'
the first hard freeze.
As soon as the crop ripcns, g.
through the field with sced.pickinl
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 the large ears On stalks standing
singly with an unusual amount of space
around them. Preference should b.
given the plants that have produced
fYtl