The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1917-10-05
FOR STATEWIDE
SEED CORN DAY
October Is Set Aside for Farm
ers of Mississippi to Select
Seed for Next Year.

Agricultural College, Miss, Oct.
That October Is has just been
set aside as statewide seed corn day
in Mississippi with the aim of get
ting every farmer in the state to Sc
lect in the field at least enough
seed corn to supply his own needs
for the coming year was the an
nouncement just given out here by
C. A. Cobb, assistant state farm
demonstration agent Of Farm DEM
enstration Work Extensive prep
arations are being made to get the
importance of this movement before
the farmers of the state. In this
connection, Mr.. Cobb said:
'If we are to take the rank in corn
growing that we should and can,
there are some things that must be
done. Among the things. in mind
that can be done to increase our
yields per acre, is that of seed selec-
ton in the field this fall. Good seed
is a scarce article. Good seed corn
is hard to find on the market. 1t is,
therefore, necessary that we do lot
of home selecting. There. are a few
growers of good seed in the state,
and from them, reputable seed can
be had. If you have a good home
grown strain of some pure variety,
you cannot afford to neglect select
ing seed during the next few weeks.
70 be helpful, am giving below
suggestions that may serve as a par
tial guide when you go into the field
to Go the work
l. The seed stalk should be from
to 10 feet tall.
2. The base of the stalk should be
large and fiat
3. The blades of the seed stalk
should be broad and long
A. The seed stalk should taper
gently from the base to the tassel.
5. In all prolific varieties there
should be at least two fully devel-
oped ears on each stalk.
6. The ears on each stalk should
be well placed, one on each side of
the stalk, about four feet from the
ground.
z. The seed ears should be borne
upon short stout shanks, four to FIVE
inches long, that permit the ears to
hang down.
8. The stalk from which seed ears
are to be selected should not occupy
more than normal room, should not
stand at the end of skips, nor at
the end of the row. Select stalk
that has fought its way and won.
Every stalk in the vicinity of the
seed stalk should be well fruited If
barren or weak stalks stand near the
normal stalk, the ears for the normal
stalk will not be suitable for seed.
10. Be careful to select stalks
that are free from disease and that do
not stand near diseased stalks.
IL 1t will be noted in going
through the field that those stalks
that clay by" last, or that remain
growing despite wet or dry spells, are
the ones that bear the heaviest ears.
This persistent quality is certainly to
be desired.
II. Every seed ear should be
snugly covered by the shuck.
/. An increase of 3 to bushels
per acre the first year
2. The difference of pure selected
seed and impure unsolicited seed has
often been as much as 20 bushels to
the acre.
8. The South needs good seed.
Mississippi needs good seed. Why
not demand premium for your corn
by growing good seed for your less
progressive neighbors.
Think this over The avera yield
of corn in Mississippi in 19I sid
bushels per acre. The averag yield
of farmers working under t irec-
ton of county demonstrate rents
was 1925 bushels to the &C The
Corn Club boys averaged AZ BUSH
els per acre.