The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-10-06

Autumn is the time to prepare for
prof1fable corn crop the following
season. AT corn-ripening time drop
all other business and select an album
dance of seed corn. The process is
100 important to be conducted Incl
dentally while husking When select
Ing 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 - years investigations conducted
upon Scioto river bottom soil near
Piketon. O., with WOODBURY. White
Dent, United States Selection Il, the
yield was raised from an average of
63 bushels Of dry shelled corn from
1901 to 1907 to an average of 70 BUSH
els from 1907 to 1913. The principal
influence producing this increase In
yield was the selection and the care
OF seed corn.
Proper Selection.
The only proper way to select seed
corn 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
the most corn without having any
special advantages such as space, mois-
sure or fertility. Avoid the large ears
on stalks standing singly with an I'M
usual amount of space around them.
Preference should be given the plants
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-ma-
turing plants with ears which are
heavy because Of an excessive amount
of sap should be ignored. Sappiness
greatly increases the weight and is
likely to destroy the quality. In the
Central and Southern states, all other
things being equal short thick stalks
are preferable. Short stalks are not
80 easily blown down and permit
thicker planting. Thick stalks are
not so easily broken down, and in |
general are more productive than slen-
der ones. The tendency for corn to
produce suckers is hereditary. Other |
things being equal, seed should be |
taken from stalks that have no suck |
erS. |
Store In Dry Place.
The same day seed corn is gathered |
the husked ears should be put in q |
dry place where there Is free circula-
ton Of air and placed In such q man
ner that the ears do not touch each |
other. This is the only safe procedure.
Good seed is repeatedly ruined be-
cause it is thought to be already dry
enough when gathered and that the
precaution mentioned above Is unnec-
essary. Many farmers believe that
their autumns are SO dry that such
care is superfiuous. Seed corn In every
locality gathered at ripening time will
be benefited by drying as suggested.
If left in the husk long after ripening
1t may sprOut or mildew during warm
wet weather or become infested with
weevils. The vitality of seed is often
reduced by leaving it in q sack or in
pile for even day after gathering
During warm weather, with some mois-
ture in the cobs and kernels, the ears
heat or mildew in remarkably short
time. The best possible treatment i'm
mediately after gathering is to string
the ears. Ordinarily the best place to
hang strings of ears is in an open shed
or loft. Wire racks more con-
and in the end cheaper, than
binder twine. Such racks may be
made from electrically welded lawn
The cutting of the fencing
into seed-corn racks Is done without
any waste.
Only during unusually damp wealth
er at seed-gathering time will fire be
necessary. If heat Is employed in a
poorly ventilated room it will do the
seed ears more injury than good. If
used, the fire should be slow, long con-
dnued, and situated below the seed
aars, with good ventilation above
them.
Cover With Dry Wheat.
After hanging in the shed or lying
On the racks for two months the seed
ears should be as dry as bone and
contain less than 10 per cent of mois-
ure. They can remain where they
Tried or be stored In mouse-proof bar