The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-11-18
USE OLD CORN FOR SEED

"Other things equal, this seasons
crop Of seed corn is best for next
springs planting" says A. n. Hume.
a]gronomist and superintendent of sub.
stations at State College at Brookings.
But this year, other things are not
equal. In some localities things are
very unequal. Some fields of corr fail.
ed to ripen sufficiently to make seed 4;
some Will make seed if carefully stor-
ed; some fields matured this season in
excellent shape"
On the third day of September at
~Iroquois Mr.. Hume saw ears of corn
from a field that at that time were
solid enough for seed. The next day at
Yankton a larger grower said that an
other week would put his seed crop
out Of danger of being actually ruin
ed by frost. At the present writing
though, the corn crop has done all it
can do, the state at large is apparently
in a position to supply itself with new
corn for seed. Those who save seed
will have to sell some to those who
cannot.
Accordingly the Brookings expert
believes it will not be absolutely neces-
sary to depend entirely on old corn
for next years seed. The important
part of the matter is that every corn
grower shall Immediately secure seed
corn, either old or new and preserve
it for a day to come.
How TO Select Old Corn
IF you know of a crib OF old corn
grown in your community which you
think may be suitable for seed. ex-
anime 1t carefully" says Mr.. Hume.
IF the ears are solid, free from mould.
and If the kernels have germs that
are Of good flesh color, not blackened.
the prospect is promising that 1t will
make good seed. You may decide to
keep the entire crib and use it for
seed purposes instead of feeding.
Before deciding this, you may as
well make a composite termination
test Of the crib. Keeping corn that
would fail to grow would be OF no ad.
vantage.
Select one hundred ears from diff
ferent positions in the crib. They
should be representative of the entire
amount of corn. Take one kernel
from each of the one hundred ears,
and make a termination test of them.
IL eighty-five or more Of them grow
save the crib. If the crib is well con.
structed, dry, and free from rats, the
corn may remain in the crib till spring,
or the corn may be removed and stor-
ed elsewhere If the crib room is need
ed for any other purpose. In any
event, however, do not shell the corn
for 1t will retain vitality longer in the
ear, so 1t is stated on fairly good au-
thority.
Next spring before the crib of corn
Is used for seed make an ear test of
the entire amount. Take at least
three kernels from each ear in max
ing this test, one from butt, middle,
and tip. Discard all ears for seed that
thus prove to have any dead kernels.
"If the composite test Of any crib
this fall shows 1t to have less than
eighty-ive per cent of live kernels, but
nevertheless a good amount of vitality,
say s~eventy-ive per cent. makes an ear
test Immediately. That Is in order to
eliminate the poor ears, thus to store
only the live mes over winter.
'In the spring, a short time before
corn planting. make another ear test
as usual.
"All this implies some care and
trouble. II always takes a little
trouble to ecure good seed corn. But
a little trouble this fall will be more
that repaid next fall, or even next
spring in South Dakota"