The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-05-31
Because of Poor Seed More Than
Usual Number of Fields Fail
to Come Up.
GOVERNMENT OFFERS TO AID
Establishes Seed Corn Reserve for
Supplying Late Needs Of Farm
ers-Supply Can Be Had on
Quick Notice.
BY PROF. J. r. cox,
Department Of Farm Crops, Michigan
Agricultural College.

with as many difficulties for the Mlcnl-
gan farmer as any he has ever been
called upon to prepare for--and OF
these, seed corn troubles have been by
no means the least. The one cOnsoling
feature about it all is that matters
might have been worse, for as result
of the jealous efforts by state and ma
tional agencies, seed supplies have
been unearthed and brought In from
neighbOring states. Otherwise, Michi-
gan growers would many of them have
had to go without. But while this for
eign corn has been immensely better
than no corn at all, some of it has not
been of high quality, and the number
of fields in Michigan which because Of
this occasional germinability have
| failed to come up this spring Is I'M
usually high.
Very wisely, however, the federal
department of agriculture, with which
the college and the state seed commit
tees have been cooperating, has an
ticipated this situation and established
corn reserve, where farmers who
may need seed for replanting can Sc
cure 1t in hurry with reasonable as
surance that what they obtain will
be something that will be fairly de-
pendable.
This reserve supply Of seed corn Is
| located at Toledo. OF course this city
Is somewhat distant from many points
In Michigan, but the enterprise has
teen so well organized that corn can
be supplied by express to individuals
In almost any part Of the state in two
or three days at the most.
A farmer, for instance, who con-
cludes after ten or twelve days that
his corn Is not coming up and decides
to replant needs only to get In touch
with his county agricultural agent and
leave with him an order (and the cash)
for the amount Of seed needed. Or If
the farmer resides in county where
there Is no agent, he can write direct
to the corn reserve headquarters CA. j.
Pieters, care r. T. Miles, 20O9 Second
National bank, Toledo). Where this
Is done, the checks should be made out
to "Disbursing Clerk, United States
Department of Agriculture" The corn
itself must be ordered in two-bushel
bag lots. An order can be sent in that
Is for two bushels, four bushels, six
bushels, and so on, but not for three
bushels or five bushels. This is be-
cause the bags hold two bushels. AS
governmental enterprise. the corn is
being sold at cost (S5.10 a busheD.
Express charges on this should not run
over 40. 80 or 60 cents bushel to any
of the corn districts I'm Michigan.
In some Of the southern counties, re-
planting is already under way, but in
many IL will continue until the middle
Of June, and in some even into the
third week.
OF course climatic and soil condi-
tons vary appreciably In the different
parts of the state-but this factor has
also been anticipated and number of
different corn varieties provided.
These varieties have been classified
as A, Il, @, ID and Il. AZ and 3D.
are types that will make good silage In
southern counties, and might be good
for grain, while "B" and &c" are types
especially adapted to Michigan. The
varieties included under "E" are mixed
early and medium yellow dents.
In detail, these differences are as
follows:
A. Medium Yellow Dent.-This corn
was grown in Delaware on light land
and natures there in 1OO-110 days. AS
grown In Delaware the ears are about
70 inches long, having rather small
cobs and shallow kernels. Stalks are
Of medium size and about SO feet
high. This corn Is not Of pure type
but runs fairly even for common yell
low corn. This corn Is thought by ak
perts of the Ohio experiment station
to be suitable for the production Of
ear corn In Ohio. Indications are that |
on well-drained land and under favor
,ble conditions 1t may mature In the |
southern tiers Of counties i'm Michigan. |
For ensilage purposes In southern |
Michigan this corn Is probably SUI
perior to any other corn available this |
year from outside that state.
b. Early Yellow Dent.-This corn |
was grown on very sandy land In Della
ware and natures there In 90-10O days. |
As grown In Delaware the ears are 6-8 |
inches long. having small cobs and
shallow f'inty kernels but It Is not a
true flint corn. Stalks are slender, |
about feet high. This corn Is not a
pure type but is variable as to color.
size and fiintiness. 1t Is, however, the |
earliest yellow dent corn available
now In quantity. The fact that larger |
and later corn grows on the same soil
as this early yellow dent indicates
that this corn Is an early type.
@. Early White Dent.-This is
fiinty dent growing on sandy soil In
Delaware and of about the same size
and earliness as b, but the corn Is
white and uniform In color.