The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1916-01-21
"well. dOn't knox's ! ever did. !.

breeze to rustic the cornY' -
"N-no-blieve not" said Mr.. Weston.
He was being hemmed In and knew II,
There never was calmer night-not
a breath Of air stirring.
Now the wind is out Of the question
too. Listenl Hear thatr They lis.
tened again.
/ Sounds like the whisperin in that
big seashell when you hold IL to your
I ear" said Mr.. Weston.
Amt thing in the world except the
corn growing-leaves unfolding and
rubbing against one another as they
open-that makes that noise. So You
can say that you've heard corn grow.
even II you never saw 1t grow" sug.
gested his son
/ well. live an learnt his father re.
sponded.
! Hope to goodness we won't have a
rain for about two or three weeks"
said Joe. That corn Is fine, and IL we
have a nice. quiet. dry spell and no
big wind the pollen will fall plentiful
from the tassels TO the silk, and the
ears viii he seeded plumb TO the end.
good fertile grains. Wet weather lust
at tasseling time is bad for corn. IL
Is always better II the weather is dry
and still"
I've heard old farmers say that bur
they didn't know the reason said Mr..
/ Weston.
III there's much wet weather or
wind about tasseling time the pollen
from the tassels don't fall on the silk
evenly. That Is necessary to make a
perfect grain. There's n strand of silk
for each grain. Unless that strand gets
pollen on II. no grain. Rain and wind
! wash the pollen away before II gets
on all the silk
That makes hubby corn?" inquired
his father. Joe nodded.
II the weather had been ordered
especially for the corn IL could not
have been any finer. 1t was exactly
three weeks until gentle. slow rain
fell one night.
MY crops made; it's nader re-
joiced Joe when be arose the next
morning. Grains all formed: now
plenty OF moisture TO fill 'em out;
crops made, tell you. and it's going
TO be whale of crop, believe mer'
Looks Ike the season come just
right" observed his mother.
Couldn't be better admitted Joe.
His effort "a seed selection was bear
ing fruit He had saved the seed from
the stalks with the most ears on them,
and In the crop coming on there was
At least a third OF the crop with three
perfectly developed ears ON each stalk,
probably fifty stalks with four well
developed ears and half dozen which
showed four good ears and rudimen.
tary ear which could In time be de
veloped into perfect ear.
Joe went through and marked all the
Ave cared stalks with red calico
string. the four cared ones with blue
strip and the three cared ones with n
white piece OF cloth.
I'm going TO gather 1t all separate
ly." he explained 70 his father These
few stalks showing the five ear tend
ency | am going TO plant OF by them
selves next year and develop them up:
same way with the four ears. May
plant the two together. I'm not Ger
tain now. but want to breed that
corn up TO five good ears TO the stalk"
What about this here three ear
/ cornl" inquired Mr. Weston.
First want 10 get enough OF 1t for
you to plant here on the place; then
the rest OF II VIII sell for seed"
What about the balance. Joey'
Feed the hogs with IT,"
why. joe protested Tom Ralston.
you could sell any OF this corn for
seed corn at II fancy price just because
II came or this acre. You're foolish
not To"
well, maybe I'll sort out the best
ears from the two ear corn and sell II
at slight advance for the trouble in
PORTING II out. but | won't take any
.ancy price for &C. because II amt fan
ry corn. And / amt particular anx-
ious TO sell It. It's worth as much to
US for feed as the money is.
Il think you ought TO be willing to
sell It for seed corn. joe" said his IA
Their. Its line, strong corn. better
than any of this around here. Its
bound TO give good results. an you'll
help the farmers that want TO get n
good corn TO plant"
"Oh, well, looking at II that way, !
reckon it's sort OF my duty to let it 60
But Just wait until get me five ear
corn fixed. I'll get five and six dollars
n bushel for II right along"
How you going TO carry on corn
breeding II you are of at schoolT'
inquired Tom Ralston.
Better get the trip TO the school
first. But IL do so up there pa can
do all that's ncedful next year. Plant
on part of this acre the four ear and
five ear corr. III pick the two most
perfect ears to get seed from. Then,
when the ears are matured. do as
have done-pick out the best and
strongest stalks with the most ears on
'em and mark EN-. Then the next
year I'll carry 1t on myself
what about the rest OF that four
ear corn?" inquired Mr.. Weston.
"Sell It at 81 bushcl for seed after