The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1914-02-19
HOW TO SELECT SEED
CORN FOR PLANTING
The Following Insures Very
Best Results Sol Far .as
Planting is Concerned.

II takes only ten or twelve ears of
seed to plant an acre of corn. No one
can tell which seed ears will give 10J
per cent strong, vigorous plants, and
which ears will not. No one can get
a 100 per cent yield from 60 per cent
OF go per cent stand. The planting of
the kernels from poor, weak ear may
put the prize money out of reach. Let
US get started right and not waste our
effort on part of crop. There are
many methods of testing seed corn but
the following is very easy and reliable.
The termination cloth should be nine
inches wide and 20 inches long. This
allows abont Is inches at each end for
rolling. 1t should be made from good
quality of bleached mulisn such as is
commonly used for sheets and pillow
slips.
Mark off on the middle portion of the
muslin strip twenty spaces, two rows
of ten spaces each. This covers little
more than two feet of the length of the
cloth.
Lay the ears out side by side on
board or table. Discard all ears which
look too poor to plant. Arrange the
remaining ears which are to be tested
and number them. Separate with nails
into punches of ten. This makes it
necessary to number only each tenth
ear. Mark the numbers on the board
or table at the butts Of the ears.
Always number the ears before re-
moving the kernels. Moisten cloth by
dipping In water. Remove six kernels
from ear No. |, taking kernels from
different parts Of the ear and place in
square No. |, germ side up and with
the tips Of all the kernels pointing in
the same direction. In like manner
take six kernels from ear No. 2 and
place in square No. 2 and so on until all
the squares are filed.
When all the squares have been filed.
again mosten the cloth by sprinkling
and roll up carefully 80 that none Of
the kernels will be displaced. Tie n
string around the center of the roll
just tight enough, not too tight. to
hold the kernels in place.
Place the rolls containing the kernels
into any bucket or pail standing them
on end with the tips, or small ends of
the kernels pointing downward, Don't
pack the rolls in tight. Fill the pail
with water. good and warm. Fold
over the bucket blankets and sacks TO
retain the heat. In three TO twelve
hours urwrap, drain off the water, and
then cover top ends of the rolls with
wet cloth and again wrap up as de-
scribed above.
In about two days fill the pail with
warm water again and let stand for
five or ten minutes until the rolls are
thoroughly soaked, then drain off as
before and replace the covering. Keep |
the pail in room where II will not get |
too cold at night. Don't let it freeze
under any circumstances.
In seven or eight days when the stem |
sprouts are about two inches
long, unroll the cloth carefully so as
not 10 misplace the kernens. Examine
the kernels in each of the squares and
save for planting only those ears the
kernels of which show strong. vigorous
root and stem sprouts, Discard all
ears the kernels of which show one or
more dead kernels, weak sprouts. or
kernels affected with mould. which |
kills the sprouts after they have start
ed. The sawdust box is also an mex.
pensive and accurate method of test
ing seed.