The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-01-29
TEST CORN SEED.
Necessary This Year to Dc
terminc Viability OF Seed I'm Adj
vance Of Planting Season.

an absolute necessity this year in
many sections. In number of dis
trlcts the last corn crop from which
seed for the coming planting will bc
taken was late in maturing or 50
moist when harvested as to call for
special precautions. A high moist urc
content makes seed corn particularly
susceptible to damage from free
ing or heating. Farmers in the sec
uons where corn failed to ripen nor
mally who do not test their seed
early enough to be able to rep-aca
their own bad seed with good seed Sc
cured from other sources will be taxi
ing an unnecessary risk. 1t is also
especially important for holders of
seed in such districts to take unusual
care during the remainder of the win
ter to protect it from freezing.
While complete testing for germna-
ton should take place shortly before
the seed is planted, the specialist of
the department believe that it wi be
simple forehandedness for farmer
who have any reason to be doubtful
about the viability of their SEED 20
make preliminary terminating test
with a few typical ears taken at ran
dom from the rack. If these prelinl-
mary tests show that the SEED is
good, the owner then can continue his
precautions to guard it from wea ther
damage. If, however, this test With
few ears indicate that the seed is Of
low vitality, the farmer should at
once make further tests to satisfy
himself as to whether his seed corn
generally is good or bad.
If farmer finds his seed is bad he
should take steps at once to NEE; tho
difficulty. The purchase of seed
should not be delayed till spring, es-
pecially when so much corn in va
rious sections has been damaged. The
farmer should secure his seed from
well-known sources, buy it upon a.
terminating guaranty basis, and get
his seed or typical samples early
enough to make his own germinating
tests. 1t is probable this year that
many farmers who have not followed
the wise practice of selecting enough
special seed from good crops to last
them in an emergency for two or three
years will have to buy seed. In buy
ing seed, farmers should try 10 se-e
cure corn of varieties known to pros
per in their section. The safest seed
would be that carcf lily selected rom
good corn grown in the ipm late
neighbOrhood, but a any late fort
should be made to obtain seed . own
in districts where climate, sol and
farming conditions in general are
similar to those at home.
If the farmer happens to have a
stock of seed left over from the 1914
crop and doubts the seed saved from
his 1915 crop, he would do we'll TO test
the older seed also and then use
whichever shows the greater vitality.
Seed corn if properly cared for will
retain its vitality for several years.
Many farmers knowing this always Sc
lect an extra amount of seed f ON an
unusually good harvest.
The following method of testing
seed corn is taken from Farmers Bull
letin 704. The corn is placed on dry
ing racks made by driving wire finish
ing nails about inches apart on four
sides of a stick. A number is placed
over the nail and the butts OF the
ears are put on the nails. If wire
fencing or other seed racks are used,
the ears can be numbered in othe-
ways.
In single ear testing, two kernels
from opposite sides of the ear on the
top, two from the middle, and tNo
from the butt are put in numbered
squares or portions of gerrunatinE
boxes or other testers. The kernels
are kept moist at a room tempera-
ture not above 80 degrees F. nor he
low so degrees F. After six or seven
days the seed should begin tc sprout
Only those ears from which all the
kernels give strong sprouts should
be reserved for planting.
Under ordinary circumstan il
may not be absolutely necessary to
test every individual ear. II a large
number of typical ears show germinat-
ing tests as high as 81 per cent ne
seed in general may be considered
good. Under the unusual conditions
prevailing this year, especaly in
neighborhoods where the corn uid not
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