Freezing Injury of Seed Corn 
79 
old seed corn is entirely satisfactory if it has been well pre- 
served. 
COMBINATION OF METHODS FOR SELECTING SEED 
For many farm operations, the procedure may be variable 
from year to year according to the seasonal conditions, or the 
individual farmer’s fancy or convenience. This holds true in 
regard to the time and manner of selecting the seed corn supply. 
The conditions are very exceptional in which a satisfactory seed 
supply with apparently equal productivity cannot be selected by 
any one of the first three methods just described. The relative 
convenience and practicability of the methods may vary from 
year to year. In years when corn is backward, it is good prac- 
tice to select seed from corn husked early, before heavy and 
continued freezes are to be expected. In years of early maturity, 
when corn is well dried out, it may be quite as well to pick the 
seed ears at the time of regular husking. Whether special early 
selection is practised in such years may be left entirely to the 
convenience of the farmer. However, in years when corn is 
late in maturing, early selection and preservation of seed corn 
may avoid the great annoyance of sorting over a large quantity 
of corn for the small percentage of sound ears that will give 
satisfactory germination. Early selection is probably of greater 
importance in the northwestern half, than in the southeastern 
half of the State. 
ASCERTAINING VIABILITY 
After the seed ears are thoroly cured, a general germination 
test may be made of a composite sample of kernels taken scat- 
teringly from each of several hundred ears at the rate of about 
six kernels per ear. If less than about 90 per cent perfect ger- 
mination is obtained, f more severe elimination of unsound ears 
should be made. Discarding all ears with discolored germs and 
the making of an individual ear germination test are rather 
effective methods. The making of such tests is generally under- 
stood by farmers. If germination tests are made, care must be 
taken to provide proper germinative conditions, in order that 
misleading results may not be secured. 
The most reliable general test may be made by planting the 
seed in a box of soil. The number of seeds actually producing 
plants may thus be ascertained. If the tests are made between 
moist blotters, cloths, or by any other similar device, the kernels, 
after sprouting, may easily be exposed and the germination 
counted. With well-matured seed, only strong, vigorous sprouts 
