The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1916-03-02
NORTHERN SEED CORN.
suggestions for Relieving Present
Situation and Guarding Against
Future Shortage of Supply.

l.
Situation and Guarding Against
Future Shortage of Supply.
The frequent shortages of seed
corn in the northern states are be-
coming more serious as the import
ance of the crop in this area increas-
es. In 1903 the acreage of corn in
the northern tier of states-New
England, New York, Michigan, Wis
consin, Minnesota, the Dakotas, Mon
tana, Idaho and Washington-was
1,121 900. If the industry is to con-
tinue to grow, say specialists in the
department, more attention must be
paid to the seed supply. and the at
tempt to grow varieties which re-
quire long season in which to ma
ture must be abandoned
Varieties must be found or bred
which will make rapid growth and
mature in the short period between
the last killing spring frost and the
first killing fall frost When man
aids nature by selecting and presery-
ing seed only from individuals which
| show promise, in several years the
habits and chara cteristics can be
changed considerably, and perhaps
variety which at first failed to ma
ture may be so changed that it be-
comes suitable.
Even when variety has been thus
adapted to locality so that it will
come under ordinary conditions.
there will come seasons so unfavo'-
able that it will not mature. II only
one years seed supply is gathered
each year, all the work of adaptation
$ lost. The proper way is to gather
enough from a good crop to supply
seed for two or three years hereafter.
Good seed will keep without depre-
citation this long.
Go out into the cornfield before
the first killing frost, gather a good
supply of the best ears to be found
on stalks growing in competition
with others; hang these ears up in
some place where they will be pro-
tected, but at the same time have a
good chance to dry out quickly;
when dry enough to shell, do so, and
put the seed away where it will not
be exposed to too great changes in
temperature md moisture. Any man
can follow the simple directions here
given and plant his fields every year
with good. vigorous growing seed
which he knows is adapted to his
farm.
The matter of seed supply is a case
of avoiding trouble, rather than try
ing to remedy the trouble after it
has arrived. If no seed Of the 1914
crop is available, the farmer is in
bad shape. He must purchase his
seed and in doing this he is in grave
danger of obtaining either poor seed
or seed Of late-maturino varieties.
Home grown seed that has been
we'll cared for, even though it as not
thoroughly mature is almost GER
tain to give better results than i'm
ported seed. By homegrown seed
is meant seed grown on the farm. or
in the same county, or where the
same general conditions affected the
crop. The point to be emphasized,
is that the farmer in Minnesota, or
North Dakota, should not send for
seed grown in southern South !1ako-
ia or Iowa. If this is done the croJ
resulting will almost certlin]y he i'm
mature next fall when it is necessary
to harvest.
An exception to this rule may be
the dry-land portion OF the more
southern states. The corn growers
there are confronted nearly every
year with drought. In order to grow
corn at Ill it is necessary to grow
eary-maturing varieties which viii
"make" before the drought occurs
Some excellent crops were secured in
1915; but in some instances gooC
crops were secured from varieties
which are not early maturing anC
therefore not we'll adapted for north
ern planting Too much care can not
be exercised in learning the facts be
fore purchasing seed corn there. This
seed will be widely offered for sale
this year.
There are certain localities, ever
in the most northern states, where
corn did mature sufficiently to pro
vide seed for 1916. 1t is posibl,
that the department may be able tt
assist farmers in obtaining seed corr
from thesesources. In this connection
an appeal is made for every grove
of northern seed corn, having goot
seed to sell, to furnish the office o
Corn investigations Of the depart
ment with his name, address, name
of variety, price and amount OF seet
for sale. A. generous response viii
aid the department in relieving tn
present critical situation.
Surprising results have been OBJ
! tanned by the Office of Corn Inyesti
cations with seed which was YER
I immature when gathered. Even
l your seed was in the "soft dough
stage when gathered last fall, If
/ Was promptly dried and we'll care
! for. it will terminate and reproduc
\ we'll enough to make it preferable t
southern seed.
Attention olsG is called to EHrn-