The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1920-05-13
GROW MORE SEED CORN
INSTRUCTIONS FOR CORN BREED
ING
BY Manley Champlin.

E8IeIiSlOH DiNibiOn.
The following plan can be used con-
veniently by all who wish to make a
speciality OF improving their seed corn.
There is always a demand for good
seed corn and anyone who specializes
in corn improvement and makes a
success of 1t can be reasonably sure
OF developing a good business alons
that line. The instructions are num-
bered in the order In which one would
proceed.
VARIETY: Use a variety that is
known to be adapted to your locality.
Secure South Dakota bulletin No. 1S1,
Corn Culture in South Dakota, which
discusses this problem fully. In brief,
Wimples Yellow Dent is excellent for
the southeast section, Fulton Yellow
Dent for the region from Sioux Fails
westward to the Missouri River, Silver
King and Minnesota 13 for the region
from Brookings west. and extending
north about forty miles from Brook
ings on the ordinary prairie and to
the north boundary of the state in the
valleys, Northwestern Dent for the or
binary upland in the northern third of
the state and in the higher attitudes
to the west. Among the Flint or
Squaw varieties, the Smut Nose, Rain
bow and Logan Slaughter are worthy
of consideration. Someone has to pro-
duce Squaw silage and hog pasture.
2.
ORIGINAL SELECTION: These in
structions are based on the number of
100, because 1t Is convenient. If one
does not wish to put in as large a
breeding plot as 100 rows, n can
divide the number by two or four, us
ing fifty rows or twenty-five rows.
The 100 row plot is superior to the
smaller one because it gives a better
chance for selection. Alta corn, for
example, came from a 59th row in a
so row plot. Nothing Of SPECIAL value
came from the first So rows, but the
big plot has the disadvantage Of in
creasing the amount of labor, and /
am inclined to think that the majority
will prefer to use a 25 or so row plot.
Select 100 ears from the field in Sep
TENDER. Be careful to secure ears that
grow at a convenient height on the
stalk, ears that are practically mature
at the time, ears that grow on sturdy,
up-sanding, healthy stalks, ears that
tend to hang over instead of standing
upright, and thus cur the best that
the field has to cover. II will be nee
| essary of course, to select two or
three times as many ears in the field
as one intends to use SO that they may
be re-selected according to type of
ear, color, etc. in the seed house. In
making this re-selection, 1t is well to
pay careful attention to color and
shape Of ear, but some Of the minor
points on the card maybe neglected.
For example. an ear with a poor tip
might prove to be very good for corn
breeding purposes.
DRYING: Hang up the selected
ears to dry. There are a number of
ways for drying seed corn, such as
hanging up by lean OF strings or by
laying up on frames or racks. A coh-
yenient rack can be made by con-
structing a frame two feet by four feet
in size made out Of 1x4 lumber, upon
which laths are nailed on both sides.
The ears are then placed in the racx
without crowding. Such a rack will
hold approximately one bushei or a
little better than 100 ears, depending,
Of course, upon the size OF the variety,
TESTING: 1t il OF great import
ance to secure a. good stand In the
breeding plot, SO for good results, test
ing each ear is necessary. To do this
take out four kernels from each ear
one kernels from near the butt, an.
other about Ia the distance from butt
to tip, a third from % the distances
from butt to tip and the fourth from
lear he tip. Place these four kernels
in separate dells In a seed tester
Same the ears that correspond with
the kernels that grow and produces
healthy shoots.
PREPARING THE SEED: shell