56 FIELD AND LABORATORY STUDIES OF CROPS 



Discussion: It matters not how much food is avail- 

 able to the plants, how well prepared the seed bed, or how 

 great the amount of moisture conserved, the best results 

 cannot be obtained unless good seed is planted. Hereto- 

 fore, much more rapid advancement has been made toward 

 cultural methods than toward the securing of good seed. 

 Many have never stopped to consider what constitutes good 

 seed. In good seed there must be stored in the germ that 

 which we call life, or, as we commonly say, the seed must 

 have vitality. Very few do more than look at an ear to 

 determine its vitality. This is a great mistake and fre- 

 quently results in a poor stand and a low yield. Without 

 a perfect stand, the largest possible yield cannot be expected. 

 If time is taken to count the stalks in one hundred consecutive 

 hills, the average corn grower will doubtless be surprised to 

 find far from a perfect stand. He will probably find not 

 more than 75 per cent or 80 per cent of the stalks that 

 should be there. With such a stand and -an allowance of 

 from 5 per cent to 10 per cent for barren stalks, some explana- 

 tion can be made for the low yield. There are on the aver- 

 age ear about 900 kernels suitable for seed. If out of every 

 hundred ears planted four or five lack vitality, it will mean 

 at least 2000 fewer stalks in the field per 100 seed ears 

 planted. 



