WINTER AND SPRING WORK IN SELECTING SEED CORN. 



The cotton crop of North Carolina is estimated to sell on an average 

 each year for from thirty-five to forty million dollars. This amount 

 of money is annually sent from the State to purchase supplies which 

 could be more profitably produced by the farmers than they can be 

 purchased. Much of these supplies, i. e-., hay, corn and other grains, 

 flour, meal, meat, lard, canned vegetables, and fruits, beans, peas, etc., 

 etc., are bought by farmers. In amount the only portion of the money 

 V7hich the farmer receives for his cotton crop that remains in the State 

 is the profit the merchant, who sells these goods to farmers and others, 

 receives on the business. 



In consultation with the Commissioners of Agriculture and others 

 acquainted with such matters, I have been informed that it is probable 

 that in every Southern State except Texas the same condition pre- 

 vails. This evil must be corrected or the South will not make the 

 material progress that it should, and it is doubtful if Southern farm- 

 ing can make any financial advance with such a wasteful practice. 

 The North Carolina Agricultural Department desires to call the 

 earnest attention of the farmers to this matter and to persuade them 

 to change the condition of affairs by producing these articles for which 

 there is a home market, if not an actual home demand. 



A supply of corn for the maintenance of the farm is acknowledged 

 by all persons of observation to be a necessity to successful farming. 



No part of corn farming is more important than the selection of 

 the seed. Last July a Bulletin was issued by this Department relat- 

 ing to the work that should be done in July and August, i. e., when 

 the corn is growing and before it matures. It was intended to follow 

 this Bulletin, in October, with one relating to selection of seed at 

 gathering time, but it was not found convenient to get the Bulletin 

 out at that time. Ho\\rever, many farmers, no doubt, gave some at- 

 tention to the matter. The selection of seed from the crib or bin and 

 the more careful examination of that already chosen can now have 

 attention. 



Fig. 1 gives a picture of the styles of ear that should be chosen. 

 An ear that carries the same number of rows on all parts of the cob, 

 and that has the rows of grain running straight and not broken, as 

 shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a picture of undesirable types. 



The grain should be sound ; for the best ear is the one that will give 

 in weight the largest proportion of sound corn when it is shelled. 



