The Glasgow courier., 1916-10-20
SELECT SEED CORN NOW
Year-Gather and Carefully Pre-
serve a Supply of Good Seed.


Autumn is the time to prepare for
a profitable corn crop the following
season. At corn-ripeniag time drop
all other business and select an abun-
dance of seed corn. The process is
too important to be conducted Incl
dentally while husking. WheH sell
etiine seed corn give the process; your
entire attention. Get the very best
that is to be had and preserve it well,
and your increased yields will return
you more profit than any Other work
you can do on your farm.
In l2 years Investigations conducted
upon Scioto River bottom soil near
Piketon, Ohio, with Woodburn White
Dent, U. S. Selection IT. the yield was
raised from an average Of SO bushels
of dry shelled corn from 1901 to 1867
to an average of IS bushels from
1907 to 1913. The principal infu-
ence producing this increase nj YIELD
was the selection and the care o.
seed corn.
The only proper way to select seed
corr is from the stalks standing where
they grew, as soon as ripe and before
the first hard freeze. AS soon as the
crop ripens go through the field with
seed picking bags and husk the ears
from the stalks that have produced
pecial advantages such as space, mois-
ture, or fertility. Avoid the large
ears on stalks standing singly with ar
unusual amount of space around tnem.
Preference should be given the plants
that have produced most heavily in
competition with full stand of less
productive plants. In all localities
the inherent tendency Of the plant to
produce heavily of sound, dry, shelled
corn, is of most Importance. Late
maturing plants with ears which are
haa%y because Of an excessive amour
OF sap should be ignored. Sappiness
greatly increases the weight and is
lIFS't : ~ uSSt!'. .HT' 'ludiltS' III tAtS
Central and Sortiern States. all other
t.'irps being equal. short, thick stalks
are preferable Short stalks are ret
50 easily blown down and permit
thic'ier planting. Thick stalk, are
r 50 easily broken down. and II
%e' eral are m5rc productive thar
i ell AZ
to produce suckers is hereditary. 9th
er things being cnual, seed should be
,I,cn from sts'! thai have no X.
G.;
The same day seed corn is gather
| ed the husked ears should be put il
a dry place where there is free circu
| lation Of air and placed in such /;
manner that the ears do not toucl
| each other This is the only SAT.
| procedure. Good seed is repeated,
| ruined because it is thought to be al
| ready dry enough when gathered an'
that .he precaution mentioned abov'
is Unnecessary. Many farmers be
! lieve that their autumns are SO dr.,
that such care is supert1uous. See'
corn in every locality gathered a
| rlpening time will be benefited by dry
rg as suggested. If left in the husl
lore after ripening it may sprou1 o
! midew during warm, wet weather 0
become infested with weevils.
The vitality Of seed is often reduce
by leaving it in a sack or in a pill
for even day after gathering. Dur
ing warm weather, with some mois
ture in the cobs and kernels, the ear
heat or mildew in a remarkably shor
time. The best possible treatmer
Immediately after gathering is t
string the ears. Ordinarily the bes
place to hangs strings of ears is !
an open shed or loft. Wire racks ~
more convenient, and in the end chear
er than binder twine. Such rack
may be made from electrically we,c
ed lawn fencing The cutting of tn
fencing into seed corn racks is Ion
I without any waste.
! Only during unusually damp weatt
| er at seed-g thering time will fire /
II necessary. If heat is employed in
II poorly ventilated room it will do II
seed ears more injury than good.
used. the fire should be slow, Ion
continued and situated below the sec
/ ,.,l, ,ho
them.
/ After hanging in the shed or lyin
ears should be as dry as a bone ar
contain less than 10 per cent of moi
on the racks for two months the see
ture. They can remain where the
dried or be stored in mouse-proof, ba
rels, boxes, or crates during the vii
ter, but in either case they must NJ