CHAPTER XI 

 DRYING AND STORING SEED CORN 



The importance of preserving all the vitality by gather- 

 ing the seed corn for next year's planting before cold freezing 

 weather sets in is being appreciated more and more by farm- 

 ers and corn growers. There are, however, a large number 

 of farmers who still depend for the coming year's seed upon 

 the occasional good ear found throughout the husking season. 

 Still others are satisfied with the best looking ears found in 

 the corn crib in the spring. The loss sustained by these two 

 classes varies with the mildness or severity of late fall weather 

 and the picker's ability to detect the sound from the unsound 

 seed ears. 



Let us say right here that even the most experienced are 

 sometimes deceived in the condition of the ear by the appear- 

 ance of the germ. A yellow or brownish embryo and germ 

 indicate that the corn has been frozen. When the embryo 

 is wrinkled or pale in color it usually means a loss of vitality 

 due to long storage. Old corn that has been carried over 

 one summer should never be planted if sound new corn can 

 be secured. While old corn will usually grow, it is always 

 slow in starting, due to the evaporation of some of the oil 

 from the germ. 



A good healthy germ and embryo should be nearly white ; 

 but germination tests prove that some kernels have white 

 clean cut germs and still send up a weak sprout due to 

 exposure and bad storing. The only way to be sure that seed 

 will grow is to plant only seed that has been carefully dried 

 before hard freezing weather sets in. 



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