STORING SEED CORN 



103 



and hung them over a wire or rail. Others stripped all the husks 

 off, tied two or more ears together and hung them up. With the 

 increased interest in seed corn, many dealers thought that they had 

 hit upon an ideal plan when the light wooden racks were built and 

 the ears laid in tiers horizontally. But, because of the moisture 

 and the subsequent heating, the kernels were either molded or 

 sprouted. Seed corn which has just been husked requires just one 

 thing. It must have a very free circulation of air at ordinary 

 temperatures. That is to say, each ear must have access to a 

 complete circulation of air in order that its excess of contained mois- 

 ture may evaporate rapidly enough to prevent fungus growths and 

 chemical changes in the kernels. 



Different Experiment Stations recommend several devices and 

 methods which accomplish the desired results with varying degrees 

 of satisfaction. Wire racks with both horizontal and vertical strands, 

 thus separating each ear into a sort of pigeonhole, are made by some 

 manufacturers and sold on the market. Some farmers drive spikes at 

 an angle through a two-by-four and simply slip an ear over each spike. 



The method which 

 has proved of the 

 highest efficiency at 

 the Iowa Experiment 

 Station and which is 

 being rapidly adopt- 

 ed by the farmers of 

 the state, is suspend- 

 ing from the ceiling 

 or rafters ten or 

 more ears, each 

 looped at about the 

 middle on a single or 

 double strand of 

 binding twine. For 

 corn which is meant 

 for show, suspension 

 from both ends of 

 the ear is more satis- 

 factory because then each ear holds its straight form. The circulation 

 of air is unhindered, and the method is very practical. Moreover, the 

 damage by mice is slight because the corn cannot be easily reached. 

 Especially is this so if the binding twine be tied to a wire which 

 may be suspended from rafter to rafter. More recently several types 

 of wire hangers have been put on the market employing practically 

 the same principle as the above. 



A METHOD OF STORING SEED CORN WHICH ADMITS 

 THE FREE CIRCULATION OF AIR ABOUT THE EARS. 



