50 INDIAN CORN OULTURRE. 
unsatisfactory growth. It would not even be 
especially advisable to plant when the surface 
soil hasa temperature of 50 deg. F., unless quite 
warm weather could be expected. 
Method of selecting seed.—There are two 
common methods of selecting seed: one to pick 
out desirable ears in the crib, the other to select 
during husking. Either method is better than 
none at all, but the best plan it seems to the 
writer is as follows: Select a number of ears 
of the most desirable type and plant this seed 
in a field by itself, if possible where the plants 
from it will not be impregnated by the pollen 
from other corn. Carefully cut out all inferior 
stalks and ears, and grow only selected plants 
such as will produce the best ears. From these 
plants select the seed ears to repeat the oper- 
ation the next year, thus gradually developing 
a uniform, high type ear and kernel. This 
small patch of corn will soon become available 
as the yearly source of seed. It is assumed, of 
course, that the person who adopts this mode 
of selection will practice the best of culture. 
Where this system is intelligently followed 
there is no need for corn to deteriorate in 
quality from year to year. 
Preserving seed.—The best method of pre- 
serving seed corn known to the writer is that 
practiced by Mr. James Riley of Boone Co., 
Ind. A small building is located on a hillside, 
