The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1917-04-06


can be carefully considered.
Now for the farmers who failed to
select their seed this way, the next
best method is to go into the crib in
the fall and select your seed corn
there. Never wait until spring, when
the corn is running short. If your
corn is of poor quality, get new seed
regardless of cost, as the extra cost
will more than be returned to you by
an increased yield. In selecting seed
corn, there are several points to be
carefully considered, namely:
always select seed with charac-
ter true to the type.
2-Select ears uniform in size and
shape
Select large producing ears; that
is, ears that produce large amount of
shelled corn.
4-When Smelling always nub the
butt and tip of the ear; these ears are
not uniform in size and may fail to
terminate.
always shell your seed carefully
by hand, so that all decayed or faulty
grains may be discarded.
These points are very important in
seed selection and can be observed by
any practical farmer who wishes to
increase his yield.
The farmer who has to buy his seed
should always get seed adapted to his
particular section, as seed brought
from a distance seldom does as well
as native seed. Often there is a corn
club boy in the county who has seed for
sale, that has been tried in that par
ticular section. Where several farmers
in one locality have to order seed, it is
a good plan to cooperate and order to-
gether. By this means lower rates
may be secured and it also enables
them to have a uniform variety of
of corn in that section. Time spent in
selecting seed corn is time we'll spent
as good seed is very essential to a good
yield.
In the south where the rainfall is
very heavy during the fall and winter,
it is a bad idea to break land in the
fall and allow it to stand barren dur
ing the winter, as much of the plant
food will be lost in washing and leach
ing Of the land. 1t is a good plan to
haul all Of the stable manure you have
and scatter it over the land in the fall,
then break the land good and deep and
sow some kind Of cover crop to pre-
vent washing during thewnter months
In the spring this green turf may be
turned under as a valuable plant fod.
Land that is covered Nth a heavy
turf should always be broken in the
fall so as to give the turf time to rot
before spring.
Land that is not broken in the fall
should be plowed early in the spring,
as soon as it is dry enough. Never
break land too wet, as this will cause
it to work hard for two or three years.
Corn is a crop that needs a large
amount of moisture Now the best
way to supply this moisture is by deep
blowing. The deeper you pillow the
more moisture the ground will hold,
but of course the depth of blowing
should vary with the type of soil. 1t
is safe to say, however, that few farm
ers of the south pillow deep enough.
Corn is a plant which has long, fbrous
roots that branch out in every direc-
ton. If the ground is loose and the
soil deep they will penetrate deep into
the SOIL but if the ground is broken
shallow they will be forced to stay
near the surface. For this reason the
land should be plowed deep and pull
verified well, so the roots can get the
maximum amount of plant food from
the soil. Subsoiling is a good plan,
as the bottom soil is brought in con-
tact with the air and the plant food
that it contains is made available for
use by the plant.
Deep and thorough preparation and
the use of good seed should be follow
ed by shallow and frequent cultivation.
After the land is broken, the disc har-
row is a splendid implement to cut the
clods and pulverize the soil, though a
good section harrow or a heavy drag
may be used to advantage. There is
no danger of narrowing the land too
much, for every time the harrow is
used it is time well spent 1t has been
we'll said that good preparation is half
the work in the cultivation of the corn
crop. Plant the corn carefully and be-
gin to cultivate it as soon as it is old
enough. 1t is a good plan to harrow
the rows crosswise as soon as the corn
comes up, with a section harrow. A
few stalks may be destroyed, but not
enough to damage the stand, This
cultivation kills all the young weeds
and grass, breaks the crust and les
sens the work to be done with the
hoe. The cultivation of corn should
be shallow until the end. Always put
dirt to the corn and never take it
away. If the cultivator is used as it
should be, there is no need Of barring
the corn off" to kill the grass. There
should always be enough dirt around
the roots to hold the corn up.
1t is a splendid plan TO sow peas in
the corn middles, broadcast, just be-
fore the last cultivation. The peas
will not hinder the growth of the
corn, nor decrease the yield, but will
Hn11rish in tho ,unll cultivated Ground