leaves. The oxygen is separated from the carbon and passes out as free 

 oxygen and the carbon unites with elements that have come from the 

 soil to form starch, sugar, etc. ; therefore, it is very apparent in view of 

 the phenomena of plant life, that the seed must throw out holding roots 

 and a stem above ground far enough to secure carbon-dioxide from the 

 air before plant food in the soil can be utilized ; hence, the great necessit j^ 

 of planting seed that possesses strong vitality. If seed has been heated 

 in the stack or bin, cut green or has been subjected to inclement condi- 

 tions, it will be weak and anaemic and the stunted early growth will be 

 reflected through the entire life of the plant. 



Seed 



It has been repeatedly demonstrated that plump, healthy grain 

 will yield from twenty-five to thirty per cent more than seed 

 ungraded. Corn intended for seed should be picked when ripe, 

 thoroughly dried and stored in a well-ventilated seed house. If 

 corn absorbs moisture or freezes and thaws, its germinating strength 

 is greatly weakened. 



It is practically useless to place seed in the ground when the tempera- 

 ture of the ground is below forty-five degrees, although it will germinate 

 very feebly at forty-one degrees. 



Again, seed is influenced by heredity. Breed and strains are 

 as marked in seed as in animals; hence, the advantage of secur- 

 ing well-bred seed of a good strain. Corn is especially suscepti- 

 ble to hereditary influence. Inbred seed, or seed fertilized by 

 pollen from barren stalks or sucker stalks, will in a great measure 

 produce its kind. 



Cultivation of Plants 



Plants are cultivated for three purposes, namely: 



1. To remove weeds. 



2. To keep the surface in good tilth. 



3. To maintain a surface mulch for the purpose of conserving 



moisture. 



Conditions should govern the farmer as to the nature, frequency and 

 depth of cultivation. Growing grains may be harrowed or rolled. If 

 the soil is baked and weedy, harrowing is beneficial. If the soil is loose, 

 a roller, either corrugated or smooth, closes cracks, thereby preventing 

 the escape of moisture and at the same time packs the loose soil around 

 the roots of the plants. 



Hoed crops of all kinds should be lightly harrowed before and after 

 the plant is up. Deep cultivation of corn is permitted until the roots 

 are in danger of being pruned. After corn or potatoes are eight or ten 

 inches high, every deep cultivation lessens the crop. I will venture the 

 assertion that the corn crop of the United States is lessened each year 



