46 



IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



When we consider that more than nine million acres, considerably over 

 one-fourth of the entire erea of the State, is planted to corn each season and 

 that it requires more than 1,300,000 bushels of seed to plant this area and, 

 when we realize that the character of the seed, its vitality, breeding, purity, 

 adaptability to the soil and climate and uniformity in both size and shape of 

 the kernels, all exercise a great influence on the future yield, the great im- 

 portance of paying the closest attention to the corn for seed purposes can 

 not be over estimated. 



CONDITION OF SEED CORN. 



Up to the present time, March 6, over 2,000 samples of seed corn have 

 been received by the Experiment Station from farmers in different portions 

 of the State. These are all being put through a careful germination test 

 and over seventeen hundred have now been tested. This large number of 

 tests show that an average of nineteen per cent is entirely dead and that an 

 additional twenty-one per cent is low in vitality and unfit to plant, leaving 

 only sixty per cent of good seed. It is also apparent that many of the ker- 

 nels which give a fair germination are weakened and, in the event of a cold 

 spring, would either refuse to grow or give weak plants. 



The following is a page taken from the records of germination of samples 

 received for testing. It is an average of all the samples and shows the 

 wide variation between samples from diflEerent persons. Sample No. 783 is 

 entirely worthless for planting, while all of Nos. 791-792 gave a strong 

 vigorous germination. 



The headings of the tables have the following meanings: 



Strong— The kernels gave a strong, vigorous germination and appeared 

 as if they would make strong productive stalks. 



Weak — The kernels germinated but were not vigorous and, if the season 

 were unfavorable, they might not grow at all; but, if they did, the stalks 

 would be weak, perhaps produce only nubbins. 



Worthless— Did not germinate. 



(For an illustration of these three classes see Figure 4 ) 



