THE SEED-CORN SITUATION. 



9 



Table I —Resiiltx of o'rnuiiotion trstfi nf secfl corn iiitnulcd for use hi the spring 



of 101 i. 



State. 



Virginia 



Kentucky 



Missouri 



Marylaiul 



Iowa 



I'ennsvlvania. 

 West Virginia 



Kansas 



Ohio 



Illinois 



Indiana 



Minnesota 



Michigan 



Wisconsin 



Nebraska 



South Dakota 

 North Dakota 



Total... 



Number of 

 samples. 



113 



69 



151 



41 



141 



144 



55 



66 



189 



175 



108 



106 



86 



88 



100 



57 



19 



Lowest 

 germination. 



Per cent. 



A verage 

 germination. 



Per 



1.708 



20 

 2 



30 



20 

 

 8 

 



10 

 

 

 



1 







30 



1 







cent. 

 90.3 

 89.8 

 88.7 

 87.1 

 8.5.4 

 84.2 

 82.5 

 82.0 

 80.7 

 79.8 

 79.0 

 76.1 

 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 aAerage germination of 08 per cent. (See 

 Table II.) 



Table U.—Nr.siills nf (icDiiinatioii tests of seed com gathered tni men of the 



Office of Corn Investigations. 



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

 growing and the coming of heavy frosts, especially if an acclimated 

 corn is grown. We would have l)etter corn yields and make better 

 progress in originating and acclimatizing higher yielding strains of 

 corn for different localities if seed com were as readily killed by 

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

 nmcli abu.se 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 be 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 perpetual summer, where the returning wet season permitted 



[Cir. 95] 



