THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PARISH. 47 



HOW TO OBTAIN A PERFECT STAND OF CORN. 



W. W. Morroxc, Afton, Iowa. 



To obtain a perfect stand of corn requires a perfect seed bed and 

 reliable seed. If fall plowing is desired the stubble fields should be 

 plowed early — clover and timothy sod as late in the fall >as possible. 

 The depth to depend upon the character of the soil. 



Spring plowing should be as near planting time as possible. If the 

 ground should be damp the harrow should follow the plow. If the 

 ground is in good condition, the harrowing should be postponed until 

 ready to plant. In that case the harrow will kill the young weeds and 

 also create a dust mulch, which is desirable. 



In fall plowing a disk or pulverizer should be used. The same may 

 be used in the spring plowing, if the season is wet, followed by the 

 harrow prior to planting. 



Early planting is desirable, but in no case should corn be planted 

 until the ground is in proper condition. 



In order to obtain your seed corn, the first thing to do is to get the 

 kind of corn you wish to raise — the variety that will best mature in 

 your latitude. Remember, however, that a small ripe ear is preferable 

 to a large one that will not mature in your locality. To insure good 

 seed, corn should be gathered some time in Sepetember, by going through 

 the best part of your field and selecting ears of uniform size and length. 

 Sufficient husks should be left on the ears to tie together and the corn 

 should be placed in a dry place and left until the following spring, when 

 it should be taken down and shelled off both ends sufficiently to insure 

 an even size of grains which will enable the planter to drop an equal 

 number of grains in a hill, three grains in a hill being sufficient of such 

 seed. Under ordinary conditions corn should be planted two and one- 

 half inches deep. The harrow should follow the planter. This will 

 leave the ground in good condition and give you a perfect stand of corn. 



The matter of seed corn is one in which every farmer and stock 

 feeder should be interested. When we take into consideration the facts 

 that the principal grain used in the production of beef, pork and mut- 

 ton is corn, and that Iowa produces more pounds of meat than any 

 other state, you will agree with me that the members of this Institute, 

 also the members of the State Department of Agriculture should encour- 

 age all honest efforts to secure the best possible corn for seed. 



Chairman ; I would like to hear from any of the gentlemen 

 present. I see Prof. H-olden is here. I would like to hear from 

 him. 



Prof. P. G. Holdex : Mr. Chairman, I agree with the Pres- 

 ident in the main, and especially in regard to the one point that 

 lie brought out so emphatically, viz., the importance of selecting 



