The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-09-17
NOW IS TIME TO
SELECT SEED CORN

1t is time again for the annual talks
on field selection of seed corn which
almost nobody needs. The idea is
not popular if one may judge by the
small number of corn growers who
practice field selection of their seed
corn, but arguments in its favor are
hard to get around. Perhaps the
strongest argument for it is that the
best corn growers practice it and get
results from it.
Boise Valley is much like other corn
growing sections this year in that it
will probably have a lot of frosted
corn for there is a great deal of corn
which will not mature unless frost
comes later than may be expected
Field selection of seed corn involves
too much labor and time to make it
practical on a large scale but when
followed out consistently in connec-
ton with seed plot it will go farther
toward the improvement of our corn
crop than almost anything else.
In this state we are particularly in
terested in developing strains of early
maturing corn since corn that is ma
ture at the time of the first frost is
lower in yield, in feeding value and
terminating power than the same
corn would be if mature, and since our
season makes late maturing corn
uncertain. In every field there is con-
siderable variation in the maturity of
the corn, some ears ripening as much
as two or three weeks earlier than
others under the same conditions.
Hence, seed selection should begin as
soon as the first ears ripen and the
earliest maturing ears should be
chosen, other things being equal. In
crib selection the early ears cannot be
distinguished.
Stalk selections is almost, if not quite
as important as ear selection, and this,
of course, can only be followed by
going through the fields before the
corn is gathered.
The careful corn grower then, who
is earnestly concerned in the system
attic improvement of his crop with re-
spect to yield, quality and early ma
turity, will let nothing keep him from
the corn field at the time when the
early maturing ears are showing up
and before frost strikes the crop. With
a sack hung from his shoulder he will
pass between the rows looking for
the dry husks which indicate the ripe
ears. When he finds such an ear he
will first scrutinize the stalk on
which it grows. He requires this to
be thick and strong, of medium
height, with rather short joints, abun-
dant foliage and strong tassel He
will also look for stalks that are free
from suckers. He requires the ear
to be placed at a convenient height
on the stalk and attached by rather
short shank of medium thickness. He
wants the husks to cover the ear
completely over the tip and to be
sufficiently abundant to give the ear
protection from weather but does not
want them heavy, coarse and harsh.
If the stalk and ear pass this examin-
cation, he will open the husks and if
he finds an ear of good size with
straight rows of uniform kernels of
the type he thinks best, we'll filled
over tip and butt he will drop it in his
sack. Time will not permit him to
make a score card examination of
each ear at the time so he will gather
perhaps two or three time sas many
as he expects to USE expecting to eX-
anime them more critically after they
are dry and discard all which do not
conform to the type toward which he
is working.
After the seed is selected it should
be thoroughly dried in an airy place
where it will not freeze and yet will
not become too warm, Plenty of
ventilation among as we'll as around
the ears is needed to permit them to
dry quickly and thoroughly.
1t is gratifying to note the work
done by some of the corn club men,
bers in the field selection of seed corn
and equally gratifying to note the in
creasing numbers of farmers who are
becoming interested in this system as
we'll as in the use OF the special seed
plot.
H. A. IRELAND,
u S. Dept. of Agriculture.