Show I 1 KING CORN how the fanner bariner can double his great american crop corn planting tho the united states this year will have over acres planted to this king of crops for this enormous acreage bushels of seed will bo be required probably but little thought thou glit Is 13 given by tho the average farmer to tho the germinating quality of the seed used tor for he bo has so long been accustomed to getting a stand under ordinarily f favorable avor conditions varying from GO 60 to 85 per cent that many have como come to think agnore complete stand impossible pet ket experiments havo have shown tw barring unfavorable wrather weather nt at planting time the work of grubs wiro worms and the like thoro there if IB no renson reason why a stand of corn should bo be less than 95 per cent of recent years however conditions havo much improved and never before has there been such a demand for seed corn of high vitality somo soma of our best farmers are beginning to realize that ono one of tho the groat grent est cst factors in profitable corn tion Is the use of seed which blitch will show high per cantago of germi germinal nallon ion if each corn grower would give it 11 little time during the early spring to the testing of the seed the vitality of each individual ear of corn intended for planting could bo be readily determined the poor cars could then bo be d and tho the millions of bushels of seed corn which fall to grow each spring could bo be very profitably converted convert pd into pork and beef of tho the bushels of seed corn which will be planted this year it Is almost certain that from two to three million bus bushels liels or nearly 1 20 0 per cent of the corn first planted will fall to grow ns as a result of 0 tho the low Nita vitality lity of tho the thousands of acres will have to bo be replanted either in their entirety or in III part and many thousands moro more will ivill grow to maturity with an all imperfect stand 0 q TESTING RACK it seems incredible of realization really atton that tho the average flefil ot of tarn corn in tho the united states in 1905 when the total reduction was the largest in our ills history was only bushels ot of shelled corn per acre it Is still moro more surprising to know that tho the average production per acro la Is practically tho samo same today to day as it was waa forty years aa in fact the average yield per aero acre fir tho the ten years from to 1875 v as 2607 bushels us its compared with 25 2 1 bushels for tho the ton ten years from 1896 to 1905 while there aro are devoral rea rca sons ona for this tho the principal reason Is probably carelessness la in tho use ol of seed of low vitality to test each corn ear tho the statement Is mado made by officials of tho the department of agriculture that abilo corn breeders bleeders bre eders have hao ich ach loved marked success in tho the production of improved tyres types of corn during tho the last decade unless the farmers tako take better caro care of their seed bood corn and test each car separately preparatory to planting tho the chances are that the n arago s beld of corn per aero acre in tho the united states will not bo be increased in our principal corn growing states corn Is planted in hills feet apart each way ft ay giving hills per aero acre in most sections three stalks to tho the hill Is considered a perfect stan stand in some states two to is the tha standard yot yet it each hill would produce but one medium sized ear car G C or 7 7 inches in length and weighing a trifle more than 9 ounces the yield lold for each acre avoul w be bushels the average yield per p r acre in the united states in 1905 A single oar car of corn to tho the hill th P size shown as A in tho the illustration would give on nn average of bushels to tho the acre a single car shown as D B would give ghe 30 bushels per acre an e ear a r such as 0 would produce prodico 40 10 kushela per acre an car such as D would yield 45 bushels per acre while an ear car like B E which weighs n trine trifle less than a pound would yield 60 bushels of shelled corn per acre count ing only ono one such car for each of the hills there aro are however very few farmers who raise la as much as GO 50 bushels of shelled corn per acre yet every corn grower can probably produce many ears which are larger than that shown as E in the cut ing however both cars D and 13 11 1 and granting that every 01 cry farmer could harvest from each hill two such auch cars as tho the one shown as 0 on an far which la Is less than 81 j inches lony long ani weighs ilg ounces the yield would bo be 80 bushels of shelled corn per aero acre aro are there any corn growers who can not produce the equivalent of at least two such cars to every hill how many grow 80 bushels bushela of 0 shelled corn per aero acre tho the time required to test individual cars cara tor for vitality Is very small when it la Is considered that 12 or 15 ears cars will furnish turn lali enough seed to plant one acre experiments have leavo shown that if a few kernels preferably six aro are taken from different parts of an car of corn and all aro are found to germinate well that Is to produce rood good healthy sprouts practically all of the kernels on that ear car will likewise show strong vitality on tho the other hand it if the part of all of the kernels tested fall to germinate or show only weak sprouts the proportion will be the same bamo tor for nil all of tho the kernels on oil such ears and the corn grower will be not a little surprised to find many a alno looking oar car of corn among hla his selected seed the tha kernels ot of which will not sprout at all better now than not at all germination tests should bo be made evo or six weeks before planting time but ovon even it it la is necessary to stop tho the plow la in tho the field it Is far moro more profitable to havo have a good stand of corn on 19 acres than it Is to havo have a poor stand on 20 acres thereby saving tho the time and labor necessary to prepare tho the ground and to plant and cultivate a tho the additional acre yet many farmers are overy year planting and cultivating 3 or 4 acres in every 20 for which they receive comparatively no returns in III making tho the tests it Is essential that each car tested should be given a number and all kernels taken given a corresponding number so that after tho the tests testa the faulty cars care may b bo thru thrown ivil out many kinds of germinating boxes and methods for testing seed adea corn coni havo have boon been described in various publications but the department of agriculture has designed a simple box which la is believed to combine most of tho the advantages and give alvo good results in the hands of almost any operator tho the box would bo be about 11 or 2 inches deep inside and the length and width such ruch rs ra to suit stilt tho the needs of tho the individual fermor but it should not bo be made war tr instead of filling tho the box with r 1 1 soil or saw sawdust dut na as Is commonly r commended the seed bod bed Is made of heavy canton flannel or similar ma as f 4 A germinating terdal aerial using two or three thickness of cloth in tho the bottom ot of tho the box and one or two ot of cloth for covering tho the kernels after the frame hits has been filled the cloth at the bottom should bo be marked oft into squares 2 inches each way and numbered each cach ono one of which la is to bo be filled with kernels from tars ears which aro are given a number corresponding to tho the square used A very simple test F for or uso use first wet tho the cloth thoroughly by soaking in water and then place the halt cloth double thickness which lias has been baon marked in squares in the hot bot cami r A I 1 tl uril all OF FINE SEED torn tom of the germinating box the kernels from car no I 1 are then placed germ side up ill in square no 1 I anil and so BO on when all ot of the tha squares havo have been filled fold the other end of tho the cloth carefully over tho the kernels cornels it during tho the tho the cloths claths have become dry sprinkle thom them well ivell with water cover the box with a piece of gl sir as s or other tight material to k tho the evaporation of 0 tho the water tr aroi 01 the cloths claths and sot set tho the box aside or a few days to await tho the re results i it tho the test where only a limited num n er of ears cars are to be tested a similar germ erm apparatus may be ma a by using cloth between two dinner I 1 lates ton ten inch plates will give ample space pace for the testing of 18 or 20 eara cars a one time it Is important that the c tears ears to bo numbered or arranged in the same earns definite order as the ding tests in the germinating gemina ting box amo no ot of tho the most satisfactory methods fa the use of a rack as Is generally us d for drying seed corn this Is go generally rally a piece of 2 by 2 inch PICCO of 0 pine from which extend on all tour four long nalla nails each of which Is auml cred after the kernels from tho the first fief ear havo have been placed in square I 1 no a 1 ol of tho the germinating box tho the 0 caer ir Is shoved on nail no I 1 odthe of the drying r tick rack and so on these racks can thi thin n bo be 7 1 I ti 1 I 1 4 bk 0 WHAT MAKES THE CORN AVERAGE LOW suspended in some suitable sult ablo place and there need bo be no fear of tho the ears b being 0 mixed while the germination test Is in progress tho kernels in tho the testing be box x should begin to germinate freely fredly about the third or fourth day but the counting should not be done until the sixth or seventh day or until most of the shoots or stems are from 1 to I 1 11 3 inches long th this with 8 par part t of the festl testing ng must be lone done with considerable care aro and requires good judgment as ke kernels r will bo be found in all stages ot of development if the six kernels in ill any one square in the germinating box show six good healthy sprouts tho the car loll 1011 A 13 C D 1 fout rule CAN NOT YOU GROW TWO EARS LIKE E TO EACH CORNHILL which they represent should bo be taken tor for seed there will niso also bo be boses in which all six kernels have germinated but will bo be lacking in vigor while these kernels might produce a good car of corn the chances aro are that they will never develop or elso also will produce but a barren stalk it Is only necessary to remember that all ears cars showing dead kernels or weak and poorly developed sprouts must be discarded and only those used for seed in which every kernel tested has given a good healthy sprout tho the cars which have shown a perfect germination are now ready to bo be butted and tipped and shelled for planting in order to insure further uniformity la in planting it Is advisable to sort tho ears before planting into two or three grades according to tho the size of tho the kernels this grading may also be done by screening it if more convenient remarkable results of government tests tho the department of agriculture recently made tests of seed corn furnished by farmers in tho the corn producing states and of tho the cars tested 1900 1906 or the startling percentage oi ot more than one half were unlit unfit for seed these samples taken from ears cars picked for seed aced by good careful farmers and aro are evidently much above tho the average tho the average germination of tho poor cars was only J t POOR SMUTTY SEED per cent while ahn gerr perrol alita nn tion ot of both tho the good and tho the ers tho the seeds of which would ordan arlly have been used for planting hid hd not these tests testa been made was per cent showing that per cent was pained gained by discarding cars of low vitality granting however that tho the samples tested are of the present supply of seed corn the testing of every ear and the subsequent rejection of poor ears will increase the stand per cent this increased stand would mean an increased yield of bushels with a value of calculated on the basla basis COMMON DINNER PLATE FOR SEED TESTERS of tho the average yield and price for the last ton ten years A full description of how to mako make tests Is found in Far farmarzi marii bulletin no by J W T duvol which can bo be had bad from members of co congress agress or the secretary of agriculture |