Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1916-02-05

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corn may be discarded after testing,
| but there win be enough seed to plant
fifty acres, more than the average
acreage on each farm. There are sew
eral objections to the average cellar
1t is apt TO be too damp, and the corn
must be well dried before putting in
the cellar and it must not be corded
up q. put IN piles. but hung up
viii Your Seed Corn Grow?
1t is only good business to know
that the seed that you put into the
ground will grow; and t. only way
you can tell good seed is by testing it.
You cant tell by merely looking at it.
II you want profitable yields. you must
plant good seed
The ten million acres of corn plant
ed In Iowa every year are grown in
$4,000 farms, an average of about
fortysix acres 10 each farm. II will
take about 500 ears to plant forty
acres. Twcuty-four hours time of
one man. two days work. will test
six kernels from each ear to plant
forty acres. Yet, because II is too
much bother" most OF us pick out
500 ears, look at them guess that
they viii grow, and plant them AS
consequence more than twelve acres
out of each forty acres of corn plant
ed produce nothing This is worse
than useless. because one must plow.
plant aud cultivate these twelve acres
and get nothing in return.
BY testing you get rid of the bad,
weak. and moldy ears. Testing does
not hurt the corn 1t costs but about
ten cents an acre. and can He done TT
a time OF the year when other farm
work is not pressing. py testing you
have everything to gain and nothing
to lose.
Discard Poor Ears.
In Tho winter, during r. slack season
or in the early spring from February
90 to March 20, select the best ears
Fl al the corn you have stored in the
fall and get ready to put them through
the test
The sawdust termination box Is no
doubt the best method Tor testing
seed Ccrn. 1t costs nothing hut lit
tie tine ana labor. 1t furnishes near
lv natural conditions. 1t is not es-
sential that the box be Of any part'ou-
la- size. althopeh about thirty inches
square and four or five inches deep
Will be found convenient This size
Will test 100 ears at time
The sawdust is light. clean. and
easy to get and handle in February
and the first OF March, when the test
Ing should be done: is good noncouy
ductor of heat and cold, so that the
temperature is kept even during ger
minatior and holds the moisture so
perfectly that there is no danger of
drying out
The number 81 boxes required will
depend upon the amount OF seed to be
tested and the time limit After the
germination boxes are made, inspect
carefully the ears you are to test from
the standpoint OF the kernel.
Take two or three kernels from
each ear. about a third 4 the length
Of the ear rom the butt. sy them
germ-side ur at the tip OF the ear
from which thev were taken. If the
kernels are small. wedge-shaped. mar
row. shallow. too deer. or Il thay
show immaturity. stlrch mess. a ten
deBcy to mold or II thu germs are
small. o. shriveled. discard the ear.
Remove six kerGels from SIX diner
eut places on each ear you have Sc
lected 10 test. taking two from near
the butt on the opposite sides Of the
ear two froll near the tip. turning
the ear eno&bh SO as NOT 20 take two
{ kernels ouI of the. slime row
How to Test Seed Corn.
FSll the box about half full of moist
sawd0st, well pressed down. SO as II