EIGHTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART III. ' 131 



But I repeat that the immature corn of this year's crop if saved as 

 indicated, can be depended upon to germinate 100 per cent in the spring 

 of 1908. 



Those of us who never have any trouble in regard to our seed corn 

 failing to grow, select the finest eai's we can find in the field, from the 

 strongest and most vigorous stalks. We select it while it is yet green 

 and fire dry it as rapidly as possible and if the oats intended for seed 

 are selected from the best of the crop cut somewhat green, put in long 

 shocks properly built, and in due time securely stacked, and allowed 

 to remain in the stack two or three months before they are threshed a 

 much better quality of seed than usually sown will be secured. 



With good seed thoroughly cleaned all light grains and foul seeds 

 eliminated, the next question is the preparation of the soil. Under no 

 circumstances should live stock be allowed in the cornstalk field when the 

 ground is soft, and it is labor well spent to give the stalk ground a single 

 stroke of the harrow crosswise of the rows as left when last cultivated. 



As usual, after the corn has received the last cultivation, the corn row 

 is somewhat ridged, and if the oats are sown, without leveling the ground, 

 the seed rolls to the lowest plane in the row, being too thin on the 

 corn row and too thick in the space between. 



To prevent this condition, before seeding the ground should be leveled 

 by one stroke of the disc harrow, following the corn rows as left when 

 last cultivated and by careful driving and taking three rows at a time, 

 the ridges will be cut down, the loose soil turned into the low places 

 and the seed as it drops from the machine will lie where it falls, this in- 

 suring an even distribution of the seed, which is all important in securing 

 the best results. 



As to the amount of seed to be used much depends upon the condition 

 of the soil and the weather that follows. The best crop of oats I ever 

 raised, four bushels of seed was sown, but the growth was so heavy that 

 had clover and timothy been sown with the oats the seed would have been 

 wasted. Every farmer should study the condition of his soil before de- 

 termining the amount of seed, and if clover and timothy are sown, less 

 seed must be used than if the only requirement is a crop of oats. How- 

 ever, I am not in favor of thin seeding, trusting to the stooling to give a 

 sufficient stand, as the stalks directly from the seed are much more vigor- 

 ous and far stronger than are the shoots or suckers from the parent root. 



After seeding the ground should be disced crosswise of the way in 

 which the seeder was driven, and here let me enter a most vigorous 

 protest against the common method of single discing. In use, the disc 

 harrow throws the soil from the center towards each end, with the result 

 that the seed is doubled at the ends with little or none left in the center, 

 and no amount of cross harrowing will restore the seed to its proper 

 place or leave an even surface. 



You have all seen the wavy appearance of our oats fields in the spring, 

 caused by single discing, and if cross disced the result is the wavy ap- 

 pearance both ways instead of one way. Any farmer who paints his 

 fields in living green in this manner ought to be ashamed to show himself 

 in public, and if he has any respect for the high calling he professes to 

 follow he should take himself at once to some occupation where care- 



