590 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Selecting the variety of seed-corn to plant will depend on what you 

 do with the crop after it is harvested. If you feed it on the farm or sell 

 It to the elevator man or feeder shelled, then you want to grow the va- 

 riety that will give you the most bushels of marketable shelled corn per 

 acre; but if you are selling it unshelled, that is, in the ear, then you want 

 to grow the variety that will give you the greatest number of marketable 

 pounds of cob and corn together per acre. You are after growing the 

 corn that will make you the most money. 



In selecting an ear of corn for seed there are several things to con- 

 Elder and you must not lay too much stress on one point, but study the 

 ear as to its usefulness. The four main points to consider are: Will 

 It grow? Will it mature? Has it producing power, and will it reproduce 

 itself? If an ear will not grow it is of no value for seed-corn, no matter 

 how nice it is in shape, etc. If it does grow and will not mature it is of 

 little value. You all know what immature corn means, it is of poor 

 feeding value and hard to keep when stored in the cribs. As to pro- 

 duoing power, we want to know that it will do something when planted. 

 In spite of unfavorajble conditions. A large germ is a good indication, 

 but the only safe way is to put it to the test in the germination box 

 and see if it will germinate strong. In reproducing power we want the 

 corn to show breeding and be free from mixture, so when it is planted 

 •we can expect to harvest the same kind of corn as we planted. The 

 trouble with planting mixed corn is that it reverts l>ack; too wide a 

 range in tasseling out; barren stalks, matures uneven and is poor for 

 next year's seed. 



Sort your seed-corn carefully and test every ear. You can test four 

 or six kernels from each ear, six would be best, and only save the ears 

 for planting from which the six kernels grew strong. This testing can 

 be 'done in the spring before com planting time, say March or April, 

 ■when there is not much other work that you -can do. It means better 

 seed, a better stand, fewer weak stalks, less barren stalks, more corn and 

 more profit. Planting in the missing hills in a corn field by hand is just 

 that much time wasted, as it doesn't amount to enough to pay for the 

 labor. 



After you have tested each ear of corn, shell off the tip and butt 

 kernels and only save the middle part of eacli ear for seed. Shell 

 each ear by itself, so you can reject any ear that you see, the kernels In 

 which are creacked or damaged in any way. In that way you can dis- 

 card those ears, while if you had shelled them together you could not and 

 it would mean just that many missing stalks in your field. As you are 

 shelling the seed you can also grade it by putting the broad, medium 

 and narrow kernels in separate boxes, making the three grades, so the 

 planter can drop more uniform. After you have your seed all shelled 

 and graded test your planter and find what size plate will give you the 

 best drop on each grade of seed; then put the seed in burlap sacks, not 

 over one-half bushel in a sack; label the sack with the name of the 

 kind of seed it contains and the number of the planter plate that dropped 

 the desired number of kernels per hill, that you wished; then hang the 

 sack of seed up where they are dry and no danger of gathering moisture 

 and when planting time comes you are ready for business, no time lost 

 shelling the seed or testing the planter. 



