Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1918-02-19
The Seed Corn Situation.

Farmer" is taken this news item
Over 300 samples of seed corn wer,
recently tested by a certain expert
ment station and only one of then
showed over fifty per cent of germina
ton, the majority running between
fifteen and thirty-five per cent. Ii
the large and good looking shows O.
corn made this winter the judges hav,
found many "dead ears" The corr
looked better than it was"
From the prairie Farmers" survey
of the field, approximately the same
situation was found to exist. Thi,
paper gave very interesting illustra
ton of the fact that the judgment o.
the eye on the "ield" of the corn, ever
| by the most experienced, was of little
value. 1t was found that each farmer
must absolutely test out the bad ant
weak ears or buy his seed tested by
some one else.
Mr.. r. A. Hayne who few week.
ago so convincingly opened this sub
| ject in our county in his talk at Shep
herdstown, assisted by Prof. Muldoon
who conducted the tests and later pub
lished the report of their actual test
work of ten ears each taken from
twenty different farms,) has this tt
say in letter to the "Stockman," Just
published:
TEST EVERY EAR.
Test every ear of corn before plant
ing this springl You can't afford moi
to. If you have good seed corn you
are fortunate, but don't be too sure
about it until you have tested. Thous-
ands upon thousands of farmers have
not one ear of good seed.
This winter my time has been spent
in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia
and New York. At numerous places
in these states corn growers have
brought in ten-ear samples of their
seed corn to be tested. The work was
carefully done and the results tabulat-
ed. Statistical figures are dull read
ing. | will not give figures but will
just tell what happened.
The ten-ear samples submitted for
testing were the best to be had and
not one-haf of these choice ears were
fit for seed.
In one 200-ear test representing the
seed from 20 farms there were only
six ears that terminated strong and
half of the 200 were absolutely dead,
yet they were fine-looking ears.
| was surprised to find as far south
as Winchester, Va, the same condi-
ton. At numerous Maryland points,
where normally long corn season
has always matured good seed, there
was an almost incredible condition of
poor seed. At Carlisle, Pa, a vivid
test was put over that tells the story
of seed corn selection better than any
epistle of reasoning that / might pen:
Fifty ears of seed picked early before
frost and thoroughly dried were put
to test alongside SO ears picked from
the crib at Christmas. All but one
of the early selected ears grew strong
and vigorous, and all but five of the
ears from the crib were either dead
or so weak that they would not pro-
duce anything if planted.
This state of affairs is not confined
to the East. We have tested thous-
ands of samples from different parts
of the United States with the same
result.
Seed corn is scarce. Last of Febru-
ary and first of March is the time to
test seed corn.
Get busy! Test every ear and keep
testing until you get enough strong
seed for your planting.
If you have no seed then get busy
on the score. See if there is some
one in your neighborhood who has
good seed. The man with good 1916
seed has something of great value.
Test the old seed too. 1t may have
Loot Gonna of itc Vit9lItU
w R. A. HAYYNE.
Feeling that further local evidence
would be interesting | secured 200 ears
taken from my own and three other
neighboring crops and made careful
test with this result: Out of total
of 200 ears with six grains taken
from different parts of each earl
seven of them showed perfect germl-
nation; eight showing five sprouts;
fourteen showing four sprouts; twenty
nine showing three sprouts $50 per
cent. germination) forty showing two
sprouts; forty-eight showing one
sprout; and fifty-four ears being dead.
Stated differently, out of twelve hun
dred grains tested, 401 terminated, or
SO 1-3 per cent. In this count no
note has been made of weak sprouts:
very conservative estimate would
place their number at 1873 or one-thlrd
these would not grow under held
conditions. This leaves net GERM
nation fit for field use of 22A per cent
The highest testing crop out OF the
four would not have shown more than
twenty-six per cent. 1t is douotiui
whether there is crop IN the county,
or in this part of the Valley thai
would show a termination OF nifty pei
cent. The test alone will tell.
From the foregoing test with. the
quoted testimony given, and that IRON
widely scattered districts as well, re-
sulting in the rush in the corn belt that
has exhausted the tested seed stocks
of the middle west, several facts COM
mand our attention. 1st. Our agrl-
culture faces a crisis unprecedented II
its history at a time when the worlc
demands an increase in crop produc,
tion. The situation cannot be argued
down. guessed at or ignored. 1t is q
condition and not theory. No magic
will save us at planting time, If we DC
not prepare for it in advance. !,
End. Imported seed (even if sucf
could be found,) to terminate wei
4
nearly always results in reduced
3rd. Our county and those adjoin'
ing it, must discover the highest ger
minating corn crops through, lmme.
date preliminary testing, such crops
to be saved by their owners for sale
only on as seed for further testing out a
prices that will give them gooot
profit above the prevailing market
rate. There are doubtless severa
such crops in the county. Germlna
will nrove so low that it will not bt
profitable to test out enough of the
good ears to furnish the needed seed
This is borne out by the four sample!
whose record has been given.
Testing is very easily done, though
care must be used, in particular as .
cooperating, moisture conditions ant
in knowing that the ears are properl!
numbered There are, however, man!