Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 September 1912 — FARMERS’ SERVICE DEPARTMENT [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARMERS’ SERVICE DEPARTMENT

Tj AH inquiries on farm subjects will be riven careful and prompt atten Edited by J. EL WAGGONER Addrem 1 H C SERVICE BUREAU HARVESTER BUILDING CHICAGO

SELfcU IiNG SEED CORN Matter of Great Importance to the Farmer Field Selection of Seed Corn Is the Keynote to Successful Corn Breedl ing—Select the Ears in the Field (Reply to Jacob H. Marshburn, Catherine Lake. North Carolina.) We are delighted to know that you are interested in the breeding of gcod seed corn. Next to the better and more thorough preparation of the soil, the proper selection and production of seed corn is the work most heeded in the south. The variety tests at the Experiment Stations show that of twelve of the leading varieties of corn tested, the difference between the higest and lowest- yield per acre on the same kind of soil with identical fertilization and cultivation was 15.2 bu. We fully believe that tue average yield of corn in the south can be increased more than twenty-five per cent by planting prolific seed instead of seed that has run out. “Like produces like.” It will probably be best for you to buy the best seed from some reputable breeder in your section and then learn the best scientific "methods to further improve the seed. The buying of the best seed from some reputable breeder in your section will save you several years of labor and expense in breeding up the seed. However, you can, by following instructions, rapidly breed up your own corn. First, select stalks that bear the ears at a moderate height on the ■talks for the reasons that it is difficult to gather ears too high and the stalk is apt to be top heavy and easily blown down by winds. Second, select stalks of medium size, gradually tapering from base to tasjsl.

• Third, with large eared varieties, no stalks that have more than two ears should be selected, and an effort should be made to select some stalks that have two ears and some that have one. Fourth, the leaves should be broad and strong, from twelve to sixteen in number, and well distributed on the stalk. Fifth, the stalks should be well anchored by numerous strong base roots from one to two joints above the ground to enable to withstand winds. Stalks free from suckers should be selected as far as possible. Sixth, detassel all weak stalks and stalks growing only nubbins or no ears at all just before the silks begin to’ show in good number. This will prevent fertilization by Inferior stalks.

Seventh, the ear should be cylindrical or nearly so. It should be full and strong in the middle portion and the circumference should be approximately three-quarters of its length. The shuck should be heavy and well extended over the end of the ear and closely gathered about the silk. The shank that bears the ear should be long enough to permit the ear to droop •t maturity. Eighth, from ten to thirty times as many ears should be selected as will i be necessary to plant next year’s 1 crops. Ninth, it is best to select and pick the seed corn in the field before the first frost. The seed ears should be placed where they will be kept dry, and where they will be protected from damage by weevils, rats, etc Tenth, during the winter remove the shucks from the ears of corn and select the necessary number of the best ears to plant in the spring. The rows of kernels should be straight, and not less than sixteen nor more than twenty-two in number. The ear ■hould be from eight to ten and a half inches long. The color of grain ■heuld be true to variety. White corn ■hould have white cobs and yellow corn red cobs The tip should not be too tapering. It should be well covered with straight rows of regular kernels of uniform size and shape. The rows of kernels should extend in regular order over the butt end of the cob, leaving a depression where the shank is removed. The tips of the kernels dbeuld be full and strong, leaving no ■pace between them near the cob. The kernels should be about fivesixteenths of an inch wide by fiveeighths of a inch long, and about six to the inch in the row. It is a good plan to have a specif Seed patch and plant say twenty-five of the best ears in this patch. Each ear should be planted in a row without mixing with any other ear. Twentyfive rows planted in this way will be sufflcient for the average farmer. At maturity, harvest each row separately and weigh the yields. Select the ears tor next year’s seed patch from the rows that give the highest yields, and the remaining portion of the rows of highest yield are used for planting the field crop. And so the work Should be continued from year to year. Yours very truly. I H C SERVICE BUREAU.

DISK GRASS The Disk Harrow Is Indispensable and Should Be on Every Southern Farm (Reply to F. L. Webb, Lee Hall, Va.) You can not invest the same amount of money to better advantage than by purchasing a good disk harrow. The difference in the working of a cutaway and a solid disk is that the cutaway penetrates the ground much deeper and throws it up in a much coarser condition than the solid disk. The solid disk pulverizes the soil much better. The double disk harrow is desirable for farmers who wish to do two diskings at the same time. The front harrow can be set to out-throw and the rear harrow to in-throw. This will thoroughly pulverize the soil and leave the field level. The main advantage of the double disk harrow is that if you desire to use the regular disk, you can remove the rear attachment very quickly and easily. This will depend on the nature of the soil, the angle given the disks, and the weight of the man on the harrow. As a rule, it is not advisable to purchase a disk harrow with more than eight 16-inch disks for use on a three-horse farm. Bermuda grass will probably make a good pasture on your land. The Rhode Island bent (Agrostis Canina), creeping bent (Agrostis Stolanifera), and common redtop (Agrostis Vulgaris), form one of the most dense sods known. The chief value of these grasses is for pasture. They are especially valuable for making pastures in sandy, moist places. The following mixtures are frequently used in your section of the country: (1) Timothy, 16 pounds; redtop, 16 pounds; red clover, 4 pounds—per acre. (2) Redtop, 13 pounds; orchard grass, 18 pounds; meadow fescue, 9 pounds; and red clover, 4 pounds—per acre. (3) Tall oat grass, 28 pounds; and red clover, 8 pounds—per acre.

The arsenical solution Is used by the United States Department of Agriculture and is probably the best solution to use. Write Dr. A. J. Kiernan, Federal Building, Nashville, Tenn., for bulletins on the eradication of the cattle tick, the extermination of fleas, lice,, etc. The mangels should be pulled before heavy frosts, the leaves cut off to within an inch of the crowns and the roots stored in a cool cellar or in pits in the ground, and covered over with straw and earth deep enough to prevent freezing. It is not advisable to feed your stock on frozen mangels. | I H C SERVICE BUREAU.