Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1914-01-23
SELECTING AND TESTING
SEED CORN.
BY c. M. Evans,
Concluded From Yesterday

80 inches wide and from four to FIVE
inches deep. This size is for 100 ears
2. Procure piece OF good muslin
one inch larger each way than the
inside OF the box. Cheese cloth and
old flour sacks will not do, as the
sprouts will grow through them, and
such cloth will rot.
8. Mark this musline with heavy
lines into squares 2la by 2ie inches,
making ten rows of ten squares each.
This leaves a margin of 21s inches
between the outside squares and the
sides of the box.
4. Begin at the left of the top row
OF squares and number the squares
to the right The squares down the
left side will then be l, II, II, 81,
IL, 81, 81, II, 81 and 81.
8. Place three.fourths of bushcl
of sawdust in sack and soak well
with hot water.
6. Drain and afterwards press sur
plus water out of sawdust.
Z. Place about two inches of saw.
dust in box and press firm and smooth
with a brick.
s. Place marked muslin on this
sawdust and tack to box around edge
9. Prepare another piece Of good
muslin two inches shorter than the
one marked. each way.
10. Prepare another piece Of any
coarse, strong cloth twice as long each
way as the one in No. 9.
The Corn.
II. Number the ears from to 100
Use tag in butt of ear fastened by
pin or single nail.
IL. Remove siv kernels from eacl
ear, as follows
(a) One about two inches from the
butt of the ear.
(b) One from middle of the ear.
(c) One from about two inches from
the tip of the ear.
(d) One from near butt, as before.
(e) One from near middle, as be-
fore.
81 One from near tip, as before.
B. d, and should be each taken
from a row about one-sixth of the way
around the ear from the one before
it, Turning the ear one-sixth after
taking out each kernel will do this.l
13. Place the kernels from ear No.
in square No. /, from ear No. 2 in
square No. 2, ETC., putting the germ
side of kernels up and tips pointing
toward rows of squares with highest
numbers.
IA. Put small sheet OF muslin as
made in No 9 on top of kernels to
hold them in place.
Is. Put large sheet Of cloth as
made in No. 10 on this.
16. Put about two inches Of saw.
dust on this, press down till firm and
fold edges of cloth over to cover saw
dust.
II. Place box so the edge toward
which tips of kernels point is few
inches lower than the other side.
IS. Keep in a warm room where
It Goes net freeze at night Turn the
box each night, if it is beside stove
or radiator where one side of the box
is warmer than the other. II kept at
a good growing temperature sprouts
should be long enough in from five to
seven days.
10. Open by rolling the cloth con-
tanning the sawdust, then taking off
the loose cloth carefully not disturb
ing the kernels.
Reading the Tests.
20. Do not read until stem sprouts
are at least two inches long.
81. If all six kernels grow well that
is strong" ear.
22. If five grow strong" and one
weak" or not at all, it may be worth
testing again.
23. If the sprouts are weak, cal
that weak" ear.
"a. If two or more kernels do not
grow, call this bad"
25. All but strong" ears should be
rejected for seed purposes. All saw
dust and cloth used should be thor
oughtly wet If warm or hot water
is used, it will promote early growth.
If sawdust and cloths are to be used
a second time, all should be thorough
ly scalded to destroy mildew and
mold.
Time OF Planting.
No definite rule can be given for
time of planting in Texas. A safe
guide is to plant at the average time
of the old settlers of the community.
The earlier the better, If conditions
are favorable, but extra early plant
ing is sure to weaken the seed by
laying in the cold ground so long.
Then there is always the danger OF
frost. Fifty-five degrees is the ideal
temperature of the soil AS soil TEN.
perature is affected largely by cult