Connecticut western news., 1921-09-15
OUR FARMERS CORNER
Field Selection of Seed Corn
 Pays Big Returns to Grov

Field Selection or Oeco SoFn
 Pays Big Returns to Growers l It costs as much to plant and cul- t;vate an acre producing 20 bushels of corn as one producing 40 bushels. So. with present labor costs, ii far mer could reduce his acreage one half and still get the same corn yield he would consider 1t mighty good business.
 Such a program is probably too much to expect, but the United States Department of Agriculture points out that the American farmer is getting altogether too little yleld from his corn land. Just about this time of year a good many farmers are realizing it.
 Prepare for Next Years Crops
 Now, or 8 little later, American farmers have an opportunity to start increasing next years corn crop oy the selection of seed. Every spring there is a frantic search for good seed corn, and much inferior seed is planted, with resulting inferior yields. The loss is largely due to delay or negligence. Autumn is the time to prepare for profitable corn crop the following season.
 Any intelligent farmer can go into his corn field when the corn IS mature and select better corn than he can buy next spring. Unless community has an experienced and honest corn breeder, the best place for the farmer to obtain seed corn IS from the fields on his farm or in his neighborhood, which are planted with 8 variety that has generally proved successful in that particular locality. Too many people consider seed good simply because it will grow. To be first class, seed corn must be:
 i. We'll adapted to the climatic and soil conditions where it is to be planted.
 2. Of a high-yielding variety and from high-yielding stalks of that variety. 3. We'll matured and preserved from ripening time until planting time in a manner that will retain it's full vitality. 4. Free from disease and insect injury. Such freedom may indicate resistance to infection.
 AS soon as the crop natures, go through the field with picking bag and select ears from the stalks that have produced the most good corn without having had any special ad- vantages such as excess of space, moisture, or fertility. Avoid the large ears on stalks standing singly with an unusual amount of space around them. Preference should be given the plants that have produced most heavily in competition with 8 full stand of vigorous plants. A weIl-balanced stalk bearing two good ears will usually be found to have produced as much seed as any other stalk. Both ears are equally val1' able for seed, even though one may be much smaller than the other.
 In the Central and Southern States, all other things being equal short thick stalks are preferable They are not so easily blown down and in general are more productive than slender ones. In the more nor thern States two varieties are deslr able-an early-maturing variety fo grain and a later, ranker-growlnl one for ensilage. It is an excellen plan to select enough seed for tw years.
 Husked ears of seed corn should b put in dry place with free circula tion of air on the day they ar picked. They should be placed that the ears do not touch cac other. They may be hung on a strin or a hatrack device can easily | made by cutting an electrical welded wire-mesh fence so as to lea1 one strand with short cross wire sticking out at intervals. Aft hanging in the shed or lying on u racks for two months the seed ca should be dry enough to keep safe and may be stored in moth-pro barrels, boxes, or crates, but shou not be exposed to damp atmo phere. Moth-proof boxes can easi be made with fly screen.
 Keep Seed Corn Dry Over Winter
 Since the corn root-rot investig tions by the United States Depal ment of Agriculture, increasing g tention has been paid to germin tion tests for corn. The improv rag-doll germinator and methods f