Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-11-16
AfHINS O NSsI
49, - e., EDUCATIoN
-c1 -y7- AND SUCCESSFUL FARMING Id
[N=M@ Dr. ANDREWM SolHE lG
AND SUCCESSFUL FARMING
D. AMDREWM SolZE

produce relatively small stalk anG
two or more fine ears per stalk?
These are lines along which we
need to do a little constructive thin =
ing because the discovery idicated
affords the only avenue by which we
may hope to increase the yield of
corn without any material outlay. for
labor or fertilizer. If the farmers of
Georgia increase the yield of corn
emit acreage it would add five million
bushels to our crop. Five bushels
would add twenty-five million BUSH
els to the crop while ten bushels per
acre would aggregate fifty million
bushels. We can thus add one to
our corn crop next year even if corn
be priced at one dollar per bushel.
Average Yield In Georgia
1t is fact that in some states the
corn crop has almost been doubles,
because greater attention has bee.
is an example. therefore, that we
should emulate. We are proud OF
the fact that the average yield per
acre of corn in Georgia now approx
mates sixteen bushels, whereas, a
few, years ago, it was only eight
bushels.
We have discovered that we ca;
grow corn in all parts of the stat,
successfully and profitably by exer
cising a little more forethought. l,
spite of the progress we have made
we are not yet producing. the avel
United States. The figures of recen
years show this to be twenty-si
bushels per acre as compared wit:
our sixteen bushels. We thus mus
| increase the average yield in Geor-
g1a by ten bushels to attain tht
basis of production in other states
The. most certain way to attain thi
end is through the careful selection:
OF planting seed.
Every spring there is a erea.
scarcity of good seed, and it con-
mands unusually high prices. Very
often INSCRIPTIONS persons take al
vantage. of this situation and sci
prices. This seed may not have bee:
selected or cultivated with any spe
cial care. Very likely the farn1e,
who purchases it is disappointeG
with the results secured. Under sucn
conditions, he is. likely to conclude
matter Of fact, he has probably
never planted any improved seed.
Select Seed NOW
Now is the time to select and mt
away seed corn under such condi-
lions as to insure it's being kept III
viable condition so that it will,
readily terminate when planted.
Going to the corn crib and picking
out the seed which is needed in the
spring , Is a foolish policy. 1t is
stalks in the field may yield the best
looking ears. A good ear of corn is
a very desirable thing to have, but
the ability of the plant to mature
two or more perfect ears is still a
more important consideration.
Corn SHOULD, therefore, be select
Is harvested. One then has a chance
to judge of the type and Character
or the stalk from which the ear is
CHOSEN. He can also determine the
prolif1cacy Of the stalk from which
he selects his seed.
1t is natural for like to tend to
produce like, and so if the seed is
selected from medium sized. fruitful
stalks, the chances are that more of
the stalks in the next years crop
viii be of this type. 1t would only
take a very small addition to the
SIZE OF the ear or the number of
ears to increase the yield of corn to
ten bushels per acre. Presenting
that there are seventy ears to a
bushel, an addition of 700 ears would
| mean ten bushels. AS there would
be anywhere from four to eight
thousand stalks of corn on an acre
OF land, one can readily see how
small an increase per stalk is neces-
sary to secure the greatly increased
yield indicated.
The production of seed corn of a
very high grade is in reality a spe-
,c1alized business. Some men in ev-
cry community should devote their
energies to this phase of work and
their neighbors would find it highly
pfontable to patronize them.
What to Es1ne1aber
1t IS not necessary to change seed
corn every year, but now and then
a new lot of seed will prove a prof
FhH is tendency on the part of
:iele strains of plants and ami
mails vi retcograde, especially when
kept under unfavorable conditions
and where rigid selection is not
pre- cticed. 1 am disnosed to recon-
mend, therefore, the purchase Of
high-grade seeds from growers VIII
specialize in it's production from
time to time
In selecting seed corn one should
bear in mind the fact that the ear
should be taken from only high
yielding stalks of bodybuilding va
r1eties. There is wonderful diff
ference in strains of corn in this
respect.
Next, it is important to remember
that the ears should be chosen from
vigorous, healthy plants that show
no evidence of disease or damage
from insects, Choose ears of corn
only that are thoroughly we'll ma
tured and which have been preserved
in a desirable condition from the
time of ripening until it is put away
for seed.
One must choose a variety that is
suited to the climatic and soil con-
UltlOnS where if iS to ha n1anto1
Too much emphasis cannot be laid
on this phase of the subject be-
cause our farmers are constantly
planting strains of corn that ex-
periments have shown are not adapt
ed to the conditions under which
they are being grown.
A good way of selecting seed that
Is easily and ineXpensively carried
into effect on the average farm is to
go through the corn rows just be
the ears off of the stalks of corn
that most nearly meet the conditions
Set forth above
After the ears have been gather
ed and then re-selected, the next
thing to do is to see that they are
they should be Immediately husked
and hung up in place where there
IS good circulation of air so that
they can be dried out quickly and
SAANA Ills is a matter OIL the
utmost Importance is preserving the
vtability of the corn.
Kill the weevils
/, or course the germ determines
the right Of the future plant, and
there will be skip wherever a de-
fective grain has been planted. Ii
we could avoid the skips in our
corn fields, I am sure the yield
would be increased by approximate
~ i've bushels per acre.
thoroughly dried. it Is desirable in
our climate to she'll 1t and put il
away in sacks. 1t should first be
treated with carbon bisulphide al
least twice. The treatments should
be ten days or SO apart.
The purpose Of the treatment Is
TO destroy the grain weevil. If this
Is not done. the corn that has been
shelled and put away for seed will
which multiplY very ranidlv on