Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-09-25
COUNTY AGENT RODEGEB n.
4 ON SEED CORN SAVING
Article Of Advice in the Selection,
Drying and Storage Of Seed
Corn for Next Year.

Corn for Next Year.
Most of our fields have been injured
by the frost. but there is plenty of |
good seed In the county. Immature
corn will grow providing it is prop
cry cured.
The Wisconsin station found thru a |
series of tests that corn that was just |
reaching the denting stage, would
make seed and give high germina-
ton II 1t was picked and dried by arti-
fetal heat.
Our seed must be selected now!
1t will not ripen further on the stalk
where the leaves are all killed. II
left in the field, it may sour in the
husks or If it freezes while in this
moist condition, its termination power
is destroyed.
Consequently, select at this time
from the field AS q matter of fact,
the field is the only proper place to
gather seed. The field is the only
place where one can tell anything
about the plant the ear grows upon.
This feature is important because you
can select for yield, maturity, size
and shape of plant. ear, etc. Or In
other words, you can fix the type OF
corn you wish to raise. In selecting
the ear we must not forget that it is
not generally the largest ear that is
the best or the highest ytelder. 1t is
most always the medium sized ear
that produces the most edible grain
from each acre planted. In other
words a given variety of corn is bred
up to produce a maximum yield thru
the medium of a standard type and
size of ear. Consequently, if one tries
to select ears that are off type for a
locality, he will undoubtedly either
| decrease the yield or obtain a crop
| that is too late maturing for the given
locality. For example, the size of ear
in Minnesota No. 13 corn for this To-
cality should be about eight inches in
length, and s 81 to inches In circum-
ference. This is not a large ear, but
will give a good yield II it has this
uniformity.
Drying and Storing Seed Corn.
Drying and storage of seed is OF
most vital Importance this year be-
cause of the condition of seed.
| Nearly every farmer has a different
idea about curing seed corn, yet all
may be good If they involve the same
principle. Any method that dries the
corn quickly, thoroughly and furnishes
good ventilation is all right.
The attic or a vacant room In the
house is a good place providing there
is free ventilation at all times and
the corn is not piled. Some farmers
hang the corn up in rows in an old
shed. Others use the south side of
the barn or windmill. The latter is
dangerous proposition, for the
change In weather conditions of mois.
!, ture and freezing will lower the vitali'
: ty if not kill it altogether.
The McRae Bros. of Graceville,
dried and stored 500 bushels of seed
> very effectively. They took the ordin'
ary fence post and drove about six
rows of finishing nails in them. These
they suspended from the joists in one
of their storage buildings. The ears
were stuck on the nails and thus held
apart from one another.
They placed a stove in the building
and kept small fire during the day.
BY opening the windows, they secured
good ventilation and cured some fine
seed corn.
Racks made of chicken wire are
cheap and easily arranged. However
any method that will keep the ears
free from one another, is the import
ant thing. Never pile lot of corn in
tight room during the winter. The
chances are it will draw dampness and
mold.
Several farmers in Kandiyohi Coun-
ty lost their seed corn in this way last
year and paid SIS. per bushel for seed
this spring. We are up against q
seed corn problem. It can be solved
now by ourselves. II we wait, some
one else must be asked to solve our
own problem.
Because the total supply Of seed
corn was used up last spring, the AID.
ministration Is asking that each farm
or save one bushel for each three acres
of corn he intends to plant next year
If you can't make the selection
from your own field, make bargain
with your neighbor now instead OF
| next snrinR