280 SELECTING SEED CORN 



inches long may be used, upon which should be noted 

 the character of the stalk, the quality of the tassel, the 

 condition of the root, and other items necessary to a 

 complete understanding of the nature of the plant which 

 bore the seed. 



These details are not likely to remain in one's mind 

 between the time of selection and the planting, and it 

 is well to keep all these facts constantly noted. 



The seed ears should be stored in a rat-proof room, 

 not too cold nor warm enough to start germination in 

 case of damp weather at any time during the winter. 

 After the ears have dried a few days they should be 

 husked and placed in racks, that they may cure uni- 

 formly. 



Of course in the spring, two or three weeks before 

 planting time, the seed must be thoroughly tested for 

 germination power. This is as important as selection and 

 even more so, because it is useless to go to the trouble 

 of preparing ground and planting seed unless you know 

 it will grow. Make sure that the seed corn has not been 

 damp or frozen. 



One of the simplest devices for testing seed corn is 

 what is known as the "cloth roll" method. This was de- 

 vised by a corn grower in Iowa and is now in quite gen- 

 eral use in that state. It is especially valuable where a 

 large amount of corn is to be tested. 



All the apparatus needed is a knife and a few strips of 

 muslin about six inches wide and 4 or 5 feet long. The 

 ears to be tested should be laid out in rows where they 

 may be gotten at conveniently. Wet one of the strips 

 of muslin with warm water and lay it down in front 

 of the row of corn. Begin at one end of the row of 

 corn and take out 6 kernels from each ear. Place them 

 on the cloth, beginning at the upper left hand corner 

 and working across from left to right. Two rows down 

 the strip of cloth are enough. 



