Smyrna times., 1931-09-30
CORN CROP IN KENT SHOWS
RESULTS OF TREATED SEED
AGENT COM
PLETES SURVEY OF FARMS
Wen Pleased With improvements
Made, He Gives Some Timely
Advice on the Subject

In order to determine the extent
to which the farmers in Kent
county are treating their seed corn
to control the root rot and other
fungous diseases that are carried
on the grains, and to produce a
more solid corn at harvest, surveys
are made each year by county
agent Russell E. Wilson in regard
to the amounts Of the dust disin-
fectants which are distributed
through the local dealers, and from
this information the acreage that
has been planted with treated seed
is estimated for the county. The
dust materials which are being
used for this purpose include Sem
esan Jr. and Merko, each of which
is used at the rate of two ounces
for each bushel of shelied corn,
and the method Of treatment is the
same as that recommended for the
control of the sinking smut in
wheat, in that the sed should be
treated in a revolving container in
order that the dust material will
become evenly distributed over the
kernels. AS both of these dusts
are poisonous, farmers are advised
each spring to treat only enough
corn for planting since the treated
sed cannot be used for feeding pur-
Of Sr1f
this seed corn treatment practice
in this section of the country, sew
eral demonstrations were conduct
ed under the direction of the coun-
ty agent in cooperation with DIR.
J. f. Adams, plant pathologist of
the University of Delaware and
the State Board Of Agriculture, in
which portion Of field on each
farm was planted with treated
sed and comparisons made of the
yield and general condition Of the
corn at harvest. The first series
Of these seed treatment demonstra-
tions in Kent county in 1927 in
cluded four farms in which the
treated seed yielded 58.15 bushels
per acre as compared to 54.65
bushels from the remainder of
each field, and for the past four
years the average yield of corn
per acre from the eight demonstra-
tions has ben 51.62 bushels from
the treated seed and 47.79 bushels
from the untreated, or a difference
of 4.8 bushels per acre in favor of
seed treatment.
Ears of Corn Show Better Quality
In addition to this increase in
yield, which is a step forward in
the program of economic produc-
tion under the present low market
value of grain crops, the treated
corn in each case was more solid
and Of better quality throughout
than that which was grown from
the untreated seed. Taking into
consideration that the cost of
treating seed corn amounts to less
than five cents per acre, this prac-
tice is one that should be followed
by every farmer who expects to
raise the best corn possible for
either feding purposes or as a cash
crop. According to the surveys of
the quantities of dust materials
that have ben used in Kent county
during the past four years, there
have been an average Of 8272 acres
of treated corn planted each spring
indicating that many farmers are
taking advantage of this method
of increasing the quality of their
corn.
Treated Seed Yields Not Available
AS the yield records from the
eight seed treatment demonstra-
tions for this year have not been
secured, it is impossible at this
time to include these results along
with those of the four previous
years, but it is expected that when
these plots are harvested the treat
ed areas will again show an in
crease over the untreated areas in
the same fields.
SMYRNA 2OTH CENTURY CLUB