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 earried 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. F ‘ 
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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