The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1914-06-19


All undesirable stalks should be de-
tasseled before pollen is formed. To
avoid self-pollenization one-half Of
every row must be tasseled.
illustrations:
Row No. 1............
Row No. 2 ............
Row No. 3............
Row No. 4
Each row is detasseled from ona
end to the middle. alternating ends OF
adjoining lows being detasseled.
When the majority OF the stalks ara
that have been detasseled should bs
gathered, those of each row kept sep.
arate and weighed to determine the
production. The seed from the ten
most productive rows should be pre-
served for planting. Ten of the best
ears of each OF the ten best rows are to
be kept for the next years breeding
plat and the ten second best ears OF
each of the ten row kept as a safe
guard against the loss of the work OF
previous years in case Of crop fail.
ure. BY following the method outlined
q few years work will raise it's pro-
ductivity to a higher standard. AS the
size of the breeding plat" will not
raise seed enough for sale in larger
quantities, the remnants of the ten
best rows are used to plant the in.
crease field, from which seed in larger
quantities can be sold.
Corn bred for several years for in
creased production will produce with
exactly the same treatment) ten, TWEEN.
ty. or even forty bushels more per
acre than when unsolicited seed is
used. Counting the increase as ten
bushels per acre, when corn is selling
at forty cents per bushel, well-bred
seed bears a money value of $24 per
bushel and the profit per acre is il.
creased 81. This is a very low esti.
mate. the profit often being fou.
times as great.
A good strain of corn, like a good
breed OF animals, will run out" II
pains are not taken to propagate from
the best individuals; but ii some such
system as has been outlined is fol
lowed. instead OF the corn becoming
run out its standard OF excellence
will gradually be raised.
The care of the seed corn from the
time it is gathered is equally as lmpor-
liant as the raising OF it. AS soon as
the seed ears are gathered they should
be carefully dried; a. soon a. dry
place them in a dry place of even TEN.
peratGre where damp air will not reach
them. The drying is very important
because corn when gathered contains
from twenty to thirty per cent OF
and may be greatly injured in
one days time If allowed to freeze or
to heat.
Nature does her work SO well that
practically every kernel that natures
will grow, unless the seed be exposed
to u~nfavorable conditions which will
lower and often DESTROY its
vitality. In such cases the germina.
ton test should be made. The seed
testing should be employed as a dem.
Of the fact that the iced
has received proper attention, rather
han as q screen to separate the worth.
'ess from the poorly preserved seed. II
test shows that less thar ~ par
cent OF the kernels terminate it Is ad.
'lsable to test every ear separately
md discard the poorest. This ties.
,an very easily be made by number
ng the ears and then taking four or
six Kernels from each and placing
hem in numbered rows in shallow
boxes OF moist sand. arranging them
% that the kernels from ear number
are In row number one, etc. The
.estlng box should be kept In j warm
where the temperature does not
all below so degrees Fahrenheit. IN
i've or six days the results of the tear
IAN be recorded.
Conclusions.
There is a general demand for we'll.
)red seed corn.
Every geographic section OF the
United States where corr is grown
leeds one or more careful corn breed.
RS.
Farmers should acquaint themselves
With the strain OF corn and the hon.
ssty OF the person selling it before pur.
'haaing seed in large quantities.
The most important character a
,orn can possess is the ability to pro-
large yields, which can be great.
y increased by selection as already
outlined.
Properly conducted corn breeding
work will prove highly profitable to the
and to the purchasers Of the
ICED corn.
The vitality Of the seed is preserved
y thoroughly and quite rapidly drying
4 the seed ears and storing where
hey will not be exposed to sudden
hanges OF temperature. or dampnesa.
It is advisable 70 teat each ear sap
'rately II the vitality II at all low.