The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-11-04

Eaf1S SeiecClO0 OF SSoO cOEn IS OF
special importance this year, accord
ing to specialists of the department Of
agriculture. Much OF the corn crop is
at least two weeks late, and early fall
frost would cause a repetition Of the
conditions in 1917, when large part
of the corn crop was frozen and was
unfit for seed. The following spring.
seed corn was very scarce and high.
Good seed corn is the secret of a
good corn crop, and autumn is the
time for the selection of corn to be
planted the following season. Many
farmers put off seed selection until
the spring when there is a scarcity Of
good seed corn. There is danger in this
delay every year, but when the corn
crop is late, as 1t is this year, the
danger is especially great. Each
spring the department of agriculture
receives reports from many sections
telling Of the willingness of farmers TO
pay good prices for seed corn and
their inability to obtain 1t.
This scarcity could be prevented by
selecting the seed when it Is most
abundant and when the very best can
be Obtained-at ripening time when 1t
has been in no way reduced in vital
ity. Many let this opportunity pass,
the farmers expecting to purchase their
seed corn, only to find that they can
not buy at any price in the winter or
spring as good seed as they could have
selected in the autumn.
Requirements for Seed.
Until a community has its expert
enced and honest corn breeder, the best
place for the farmer to obtain seed
corn is from fields on his own farm
or in his neighhorhoOd that were plant
ed with a variety that has generally
proved most successful in that local
fty. By far too many farmers consid-
er seed good simply because it will
grow. To be first-class, seed corn
must be-
Well adapted to the seasonal and
soil conditions where it is to be plant
ed.
From weIl-grown productive plants
of q productive variety.
Well matured and preserved from
ripening time to planting time in
manner that will retain its full prOduc-
tivity.
The importance of these three re-
ouirements has been demonstrated
through experiments by the office OF
corn investigations, bureau of plant
Industry, United States department OF
agriculture, and the results given in
Farmers Bulletin No. 1175, recently
published by that department.
At corn-ripening time. specialists OF
the department advise, drop all other
| business and select an abundance OF
| seed corn. The process is too impOr-
taut to be conducted incidentally while
husking. Seed corn should be select
ed from stalks standing where they
grew. In this way the seed corn can
be obtained from
Stalks that have an inherent ten
dency to yield well, as shown by their
| superiority over surrounding stalks
| that grew under similar conditions.
Such seed inherits high-producing pow
eF.
Stalks without suckers. Such seed
produces fewer suckers than SEED from
sucker-bearing stalks.
Storm-proof stalks with ears at
| desirable height.
Stalks that are free from disease.
Among the best methods for the con-
troll of several important corn diseases,
including the ear and stalk rot, is the
selection of seed corn from disease
| free stalks. The selection Of disease
| free seed corn is discussed in Farmers
Bulletin No. 1176, entitled 1.-THE Con-
troll of Corn Root, Stalk, and Ear Rot
| Diseases
| Husk Ears From Stalks.
AS soon as the corn natures, the
farmer should go through his field with
a seed-pickIng bag and husk the ears
from the stalks that have produced
the most corn without having any spe-
cial advantages, such as space, mois-
ture or fertility Avoid the large
ears on stalks standing singiy with an
unusual amount of space around them
Preference should be given the plants
shat have produced most heavily in
competition with q full stand or less
productive plants. In all localities the
inherent tendency of the plant to pro-
duce heavily Of sound. dry, sheiled
corn is Of most importance.
Late-maturing plants with ears that
are heavy because Of the excessive
amount Of sap should be ignored. Sap
piness greatly increases the harvest