THE SEED-COKN SITUATION. 



the spring of 1012 and obtained from farnuMs of various States, as 



shown in Table I. 



Table 1.— Results of germination tests of seed corn intended for use in the spring of 1912. 



State. 



Viririnia 



Kentucky 



ML<;.souri 



Maryland 



Iowa 



Pennsylvania. . 

 A\*cst Virginia. 



Kansas 



Ohio 



Illinois 



Iniliana 



Minnesota 



Michi^'an. .;... 



Wisconsin 



Nebraska 



South Dakota. 

 North Dakota. 



Number of 

 samples. 



Total. 



113 



69 



151 



41 



141 



144 



55 



66 



189 



175 



108 



106 



86 



88 



100 



57 



19 



Lowest 

 germination. 



Per cent. 



1,708 



o 



26 



2 



30 



20 







8 







10 















1 







30 



I 







Averaf;e 

 germination. 



Per 



cent. 

 90.3 



89. S 

 88.7 

 87.1 

 85.4 

 84.2 

 82. 5 

 82.0 

 80.7 

 79.8 

 79.0 

 70.1 

 75.0 

 73.9 

 73.1 

 64.6 

 56.8 



81.0 



The Seed Laboratory also tested the seed gathered and dried early 

 by men of the Office of Corn Investigations. From the States men- 

 tioned 73 samples gave an average germination of 98 per cent. (See 

 Table 11.) 



T.\ni.E \\.— Results of germination tests of seed corn gathered hij men of the 0,[/icc of Ccrn 



Investigations . 



State. 



Number of Lowest ger- 

 samples. i mination. 



Virginia 



Maryland (including the District of Columbia) . 

 Kansas 



Ohio. 



Wisconsin 



South Dakota . . 

 South Carolina . 

 California 



29 



26 



1 



-1 

 2 



1 

 9 

 1 



Per cent. 

 95 

 93 

 97 

 93 



97.6 

 96 

 96 

 100 



Total. 



73 



Average ger- 

 mination. 



Per cent. 



98.5 

 98. 3 

 97.0 

 94.8 

 98.8 

 96.0 

 98.0 

 100.0 



9S.1 



There are usually a few days between the time the corn stops 

 g^o^^^ng and the coming of heavy frosts, especially if an acclimated 

 corn is grown. We would have better corn yields and make better 

 progress in originating and acclimatizing higher yielding strains of 

 corn for di.Terent localities if seed corn were as readily killed by 

 frosts as are sweet-potato vines. If seed corn would not stand so 

 much al)use and if it were killed outright by the first freeze, farmers 

 would dry their seed corn before they dig their potatoes and the next 

 year's crop would })e better. 



The blame can not be justly shifted upon the season. It is the 

 farmer who fails to do his part. Corn has been transported from a 

 land of jM^rpetual summer, where the returning wet season permitted 



[Cir. it.T] 



