STATES RELATIONS SERVICE. 361 



Seed-corx selection and testing campaigns. — Three hundred and 

 fifty-four agents assisted 63,813 farmers in fall-selecting seed corn, 

 and more than a million additional acres were planted with fall- 

 selected seed corn, resulting from work of the agents in the fall of 

 1916. Assistance was given to 36,538 farmers in the testing of seed 

 corn, resulting in 916,563 additional acres being planted with tested 

 seed. The most extensive campaigns to encourage seed-corn selec- 

 tion in the fall and seed-corn testing were carried on in Illinois, 

 Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. 



In the spring of 1918 the corn-belt States were faced with the 

 worst seed-corn situation in their history. Early frost in 1917 had 

 caught much of the corn immature. This was followed by unsea- 

 sonably warm weather after corn was harvested, which rendered 

 much of the original testing unreliable. The situation was espe- 

 cially bad in the northern part of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and the 

 whole State of Iowa, as well as in the northern extension of the 

 corn belt in South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. 



Surveys were conducted by the county agents through their farm 

 bureaus and showed in many counties a total absence of seed, and 

 that in the aggregate many million bushels were needed to plant 

 normal acreage. In Iowa alone the survey showed that more than 

 a million bushels of seed would be needed. Farm bureaus organized 

 testing stations. All available corn of the 1916 crop was located. 

 This was found to be in good seed condition for the most part. 

 Careful methods of distribution were mapped out and every effort 

 was made to meet the situation from seed known to be adapted to 

 the locality so far as possible. The Seed Stocks Committee of the 

 Department of Agriculture rendered valuable service, particularly in 

 locating State supplies of seed corn and in facilitating distribution. 

 Through intensive organization in Iowa sufficient seed was located 

 within the State, so that there was no need for imported corn. In- 

 deed, practically everj^ farmer was supplied w-ith seed known to be 

 adapted to his own farm. In some other States it was necessary to 

 go out of the State to secure seed. All imported seed, however, was 

 carefully tested for germination, and so far as possible was secured 

 from such varieties and latitudes as would tend to reduce the risk of 

 importing seed to the minimum. 



The organization and the carrying out of these campaigns, which 

 resulted in making possible a large crop of corn in a critical year, 

 was only possible through the trained leadership of the county 

 agents and the cooperation of farm-bureau committees. 



Seed treatment for oat-smut control profitable. — More than 

 50.000 farmers cooperated with the agents in treating seed oats for 

 smut, resulting in more than 1.000,000 additional acres of oats being 

 sown with treated seed. Based on 1916 reports, the results of this 

 work increased the yield an average of about 4 bushels per acre, and 

 this increase was brought about in most cases at a cost of less than 10 

 cents per acre. 



Potato and orchard diseases. — Twenty-three thousand three hun- 

 dred and six farmers were encouraged to select or treat their seed 

 potatoes for the control of scab and other potato diseases, resulting in 

 nearly 100,000 additional acres being planted with treated seed. 



97335°— AGB 1918 24 



