Show EMPHASIS ON FIELD SELECTION OF SEED CORN IN ALL STATES iea 1 U i A l g N 4 M 1 r vz t 5 1 I 1 NAP mw e V at nar AA tr I 1 p 1 avys r e 0 na f air I 1 arf T AA V 0 ee 7 wy rk ni A I 1 ft J I 1 rv tv aj j I 1 va 7 it y awit 4 ayi ww cr R iw vw T N AT K jt alk 54 if ty A 1 f 1 1 selecting corn for seed in the field prepared Pre parel 1 l by the united states department of agriculture seed corn for next seasons planting should be selected in the field from the standing stalks in september the search for good seed corn aery spring should be a sufficient reason tor for following this practice strongly advocated by the united states department of agriculture any intelligent farmer can go into his own cornfield when the corn is mature and select high grade seed it he has planted suitable types of corn find and cultivated properly it if he be has joined a county movement to develop certain standard varieties of corn which grow in that locality and if he has raised these strains on his own land he be may reasonably expect a marvet for any surplus seed county agents report progress various methods were followed last fall fail by the county agents of the northern and western states in their efforts to convince the farmers t that hat field selection of corn was a good thing which would amply pay for any trouble involved similar tactics may well be used this season where tor for one reason or another the local people are not in the habit of field selecting their seed corn COM in steele county minnesota selection between september 10 and september 20 was urged the week of september 24 was chosen as good seed corn week in nance county nebraska it seems likely that the corresponding dates this year will be the best time to go out into the field and choose the most promising ears noting the character of the plants on which they grow and the details which indicate a vigorous and healthy condition the county agent for dakota county minnesota reports that a permanent and reliable source of seed corn is being developed by getting certain farmers in the county to specialize in seed corn week they are asked to produce a dependable type of improved corn and to put in facilities for drying and storing it properly the average farmers are also encouraged to se in the winter bring the best te ten n ears to the local county schools where shows will be held the best ten ears from earh school will then compete with the other schools of the township and the best from the town with the rest of the county six hundred and thirty nine youngsters promised to try the agent for washington county indiana mailed circular letters and publications on the subject to all the farmers of his county in the fall and had demonstrations given at the schools for the younger the rural teachers in this bointy include seed selection of coams a project in their agricultural work in spite of the development u of a s very successful central seed corn te testing association la in rush county indiana for several years it Is I 1 the opinion of the county agent that the testing alone cannot be depended on for eliminating corn diseases soil conditions and the heredity of the seed corn are factors which affect the growth of the corn and the latter ot 0 these can be controlled by more careful selection of seed corn in the fall from the field maid field selection in some new places A great deal of interest was manifested in six field demonstrations of seed corn selection held in cass county missouri this line of work was entirely new to many of the farmers present those who participated in bushels selected were further bonvin convinced co d of the value of early seed selection from the stalks because of the adverse weather conditions later in the tall fall the autumn was abnormally wet in this section and the corn matured slowly then an early freeze in november caused a low percentage of germination in seed selected haphazard in the ordinary way after gathering the corn in mississippi county missouri the work done in relation to the field crops project in 1920 was mainly concentrated upon field selection of corn this was carried out through community meetings which were held in operation cooperation co with the county school superintendent the advantages of 41 4 T z q I 1 J tz t it ia farmer should endeavor to strike an average of good ears like these lect elect their own seed but the definite work of 0 safeguarding the seed corn supply of the county is being carried on with a few bev men who are really competent to produce certified seed corn and equipped to handle it eventually it is hoped that there will be a man in every township doing this seed corn work and where possible having seed corn houses in which to dry it in scott county minnesota last ear acres of i selected seed were planted for their 1921 planting 32 fur furniere field selected their seed corn and all had a surplus to sell stearns steams dunty has 31 operators cooperators co in seed corn work minnesota no 13 white dent und and northwestern dent were the varieties used some of tills this orti mortified fied seed was awarded to 30 farmers ith their farm bureau renewal thus insuring a good dib distribution tribu for this year the boys and ud gails of tile the county include held field selection of seed corn in their club work indiana has school childrens contest indiana lias has been especially active in emphasizing the importance of having every farmer field select his seed corn front from the standing stalks A report of the county ii gent leader for In indiana dialia states that in white bounty a unique proposition was wasp blared laced before the calill children in six rural township town slIp schools the pupil and father were to pick out the best hughel of seed corn to be found in the seed at home this was to b be e planted on one side of a field for or 1 identification then in id the fall tile the pupil is to pick out 30 ears from the standing stalks stalk for teed seed and later the method to the individual farmer were considered paramount and the improvement of seed corn in the coan ty was also stressed the I eions showed also how field selection would help to eliminate corn root rot it if ears were mere selected from stalks that were vigorous and not ripening pre 1 maturely and on shanks that showed no evidence ot of decay operation cooperation co by written agreement the county agent for alue afano cou county nty colorado visited 20 farmers last year who bo were among the foremost corn growers and made written agreements with each whereby they promised to raise their corn according to the usual method of cultivation select seed corn in the field and store it in a dry place where the air would cir u in te these fields were nil all visited by the county agent during the summer and an accurate estimate made of tile percentage of stand each cadi hal thus showing the men of what importance it was to plant seed corn that germinates per cent emphasis on field selection of seed corn has been general in all the states where corn is an important crop and arid miny interesting notes on the pro progress akes 9 and reception of the work are found in th the e reports from ohio nevada new mexico connecticut idaho illinois kansas new jersey new pennsylvania south dakota utah und and washington ainne germination toils tells have been made and there are frequent school to 0 o bring to 10 tilt ina attention of 1 u s ad d girls in lui jul work th aced tor for good seed corn |