WE FIRE-DRIED SEED CORN BACK IN 1901 
The illustration below is a reduced illustration of page 14 from our 1901 general catalog. Note that 
we were “fire drying” our seed corn at that time—as we do now, with much improved equipment. 
14 QUALITY Our Ruling Consideration. 
FIRE DRIED .SEED CORN. 
WE FIX THE GERMINATION. 
Our experience has taught us that seed corn put 
away in the fall apparently dry, before planting time 
frequently LOSES VERY MATERIALLY IN GER¬ 
MINATION, and not only that, but almost invariably 
the SPROUT is VERY MUCH WEAKER than 
when first tested. 
Any seed when not thoroughly dry is very sensitive 
to atmospheric changes. Corn is more than ordinarily 
so, as the natural process of drying out is very slow. 
Cold weather usually comes on before it is completely 
dried; the cob retains more or less moisture through¬ 
out the winter and spring; and the result can be nothing 
but impaired germination and greatly lessened 
vitality of the seed. 
For several years past this phase of the seed corn ques¬ 
tion has been a matter of serious consideration and study 
with us, and has resulted in the building by us this year 
of a kiln especially constructed for drying corn on the 
ear. This kiln has a capacity of three thousand hush- 
els of ear corn every forty-eight hours. It is built 
from our own plans, and is, we believe, the only dry kiln 
operated by any seed firm in,the United States. Corn 
taken from it comes out BONE DRY and its germi¬ 
nation “STAYS.” Seed corn apparently dry loses from 
5 to 10% of its weight when put through this kiln. This 
tells the story. It will cost you 10 to 25 cents an 
acre more to plant our kiln dry seed than ordinary 
crib corn. Isn’t it worth the difference? 
RECOGNITION. 
We can consistently claim to be head¬ 
quarters on SEED CORN. The fact that 
every variety that is standard in the North¬ 
west to-day Is of our introduction, speaks 
more strongly than anything we can say 
as to the satisfaction our seed has given. 
The following clipping from the editorial 
columns of the Feb. 15th, 1899, issue of The 
Farmer (St. Paul) shows that the work 
we have accomplished along: these lines is 
recognized by those in a position to know 
the facts: 
‘‘The farmers of Minnesota Owe Nor- 
thrup, King & Co. a debt that will not soon 
)t)e paid. Long before Professor Hays be¬ 
gan his remarkable experiments with 
corn, this firm was spending money and 
time in two directions, to develop varieties 
of corn that would produce well here, and 
to convince farmers that it would pay to 
S lant corn. Last year the crop of corn in 
iinnesota was 50,000,000 bushels, and the 
State is getting into the corn belt. To Mr. 
Northrup’s faith in corn and his persist¬ 
ence in pushing varieties like Minnesota 
King, is due, to a large degree, the in¬ 
creased acreage of this important grain 
and forage crop.” 
W e cannot pit OUR SELECTED and TESTED MINNE- 
== SOTA GROWN SEED CORN against “Crib” Corn, or 
cheap seed, but we do challenge comparison of RE¬ 
SULTS with SEED FROM ANY SOURCE. 0 £> & & & 
25 — 
