270 
The Corn Borer 
and Hybrid Corn 
Open pollinated corn is attracted more by 
the corn borer than is the hybrid corns. 
Pecause of this many farmers prefer the 
hybrid corn, especially when they consider 
that standing corn must be had when the 
modern corn pickers are used. 
But why does the corn borer deposit its 
eggs on open pollinated corn rather than on 
hybrid sorts? It is not that these hybrids 
have been bred to be immune to them altho 
this could be done to a limited extent and 
if so, then as easily accomplished on open 
pollinated corn. 
In nature the instinct of the various insects 
are very keen, much better than if they 
were given a brain and an education so that 
they could consume some of the propaganda 
put out now-a-days. Hybrid corn is not a 
balanced food as is indicated in the old 
types of open pollinated varieties. The pro- 
tein is very low and feed companies now 
have to “fortify” the feed as is also done 
by the bakers. Not only is the composition 
of the hybrid corn affected by inbreeding 
its failure to mature in the fall, also is a 
serious fault. This last year, in our section, 
large dryers have been installed, so that 
the farmer can draw his corn direct from 
the field, when it is run thru these dryers 
at a high temperature, and the corn immed- 
iately processed for food, both human and 
for live stock. There is no doubt that 
this sort of corn lacks some of the very vital 
elements; and this lack is passed on down 
thru many kinds of corn products. The 
starches, corn syrup, etc., made from hybrid 
corn all must lack vital food elements. 
I recently was reading a book in which 
it was stated that ‘all nature abhor inbreed- 
ing’. How then can the hybrid corns b2 
defended by the various experiment stations 
wken hybrid corn is very much irb-ed, sv 
much that new help, unfamiliar with hybrid 
corn, weuld not bother to pick the seed 
ears from the male corn plants, so small 
and poorly do. they appear. 
It therefore is not surprising that the 
corn borer in selecting a stalk of corn 
for ITS off-spring selects the open pollin- 
ated stalk and leaves the hybrid for YOUR 
off-spring! 
DIVIDING PERENNIALS 
Both Peonies and Fritillarias should not 
be disturbed as they do best after - being 
well established. But perennial Phlox 
should be divided every four years and 
Jris every three. r ; 
Many fast growing perennials should be 
divided every year or every other at. most: 
Such perennials as the Michaelmas Daisy, 
Achillea ptarmica and A. millifolium ros- 
eum, the Helianthus, Sedums, some of the 
Veronicas, Chrysanthemums and Oenothera 
require dividing about every year if you wish 
nice clumps and well flowered plants in 
the border. 
Artemisia, Boltonia, Campanula, Geum, 
Hosta, Doronicum, Armeria and Thalict- 
tum are all propagated by division in the 
spring: 
MULTIFLORA ROSE 
I notice your query about experiences 
with the use of the Multiflora Rose as a 
fence. Here are my suggestions: we have 
a hedge row made up of this rose. They 
are usually planted in the country where 
there is plenty of room for them to spread 
and undoubtly in such a situation it would 
not matter if the tips did root, as I imagine 
they. would. - 
We will keep ours within bounds by prun- 
ing; they have been pruned some already 
with no bad reesults. If they are used in a 
town situation, on a small lot, they should 
be pruned whenever necessary to keep them 
trim, as any other hedge. In our hedge 
some of the canes freeze back every year and 
this seems to do no harm to the growth of 
the bushes, so that I would guess that they 
can be pruned quite severly if necessary. 
Mrs. Eugenie Fellows, Ohio. 
REMARKS: It has been our idea this 
rose as a hedge has a value only for turning 
away some especially undesireable visitors. 
If left to itself, we fear that by its multiply- 
ing by tip rooting, that it would ‘take over” 
areas that could not be given the attention 
that Mrs. Fellows gives her planting. It 
will certainly turn away any thing from a 
pig up. ; 
To those rose growers who are interested 
in hybridizing, there is a good opportunity 
in this rose. It would certainly be lovely 
with golden yellow flowers or even scarlet. 
ASTERS 
The Giant Cregos best for cutting 
TREATMENT OF SEEDS WITH COATS 
Seeds of such trees or shrubs as the 
Hawthorn, Rhodotypos, some Roses, Bar- 
berry, Privet and especially Regel’s, Euony- 
mus, Viburnum, Ilex and Boston Ivy, these 
should be mixed with moist sand as soor 
as ripe and then allowed to remain outdoors 
during the winter, so as to break the seed 
coat. They should be planted early in the 
spring before germination starts. 
One can wait until February and then 
plant outdoors for the frost effect. If plant- 
ed in the spring, many seed will not germ- 
inate till. the second spring. 
THE LILY SOCIETY YEAR BOOK 
We are a little late in reporting the year 
book for 1952 of the North American 
Lily Siciety. This year they have gone 
“all out” and issued a bound book of 150 
pages containing 52 articles. 
Some of the more important articles are: 
Taxonomic Status of Some of the Pacific 
Coast Lilies; Garden Culture of Our Western, 
Native Lilies; From Seed to Silver Trophy; 
The Need for accurate Data on Dormancy. 
Those wishing to join the Society should 
write W. L- Fulmer, 505 Boyleston N., Seat- 
tle, Wash; the cost is $3.00. 
Atticut: AT-tik-us, of Athens or Greece. 
Mulching Dianthus 
On page 257 you say not to mulch Dian- 
thus Allwoodii; I must disagree although 
Allwood and Dr. Bailey both say not to 
mulch. 
If I do not mulch, the plants are badly 
killed back in the winter, sometimes wholly- 
With a thin mulch, just enough course straw 
to hide the plant, they go thru without in- 
jury. 
I have been told that a handfull of bona 
meal sprinkled over the plant will keep 
rabbits away- It seemed to work this last 
season. 
Fred H. Harvey, Michigan: 
REMARKS: That’s the way; we like to have 
readers disagree, it brings out the best in 
a subject. Probably Mr. Harvey does not 
know it, but the editor paid him a visit once 
and sorry to find that the doctors had him 
in the hospital. 
I imagine that your Dianthus are planted 
on level ground and thus more liable to 
‘winter kill than if they were on raised beds. 
While your soil is sandy around Battle Creek 
such Dianthus as the _Allwoodii, which are 
near Carnations, would tend to winter kill 
if on level ground. It is never the less best 
not to cover them; we have never tried, 
shading them for they come thru all right 
without it but the Carnation types of Dian- 
thus are not as hardy, especially here in 
M‘chigan. Your suggestion about the bone 
meal sounds good, at least it will do extra 
good to the plant when it starts growing in 
the spring. Our trouble is with field mice 
tunnelling under the plants; more cats will 
sclve this. ‘ 
Mentioning Dr. Bailey, we are very sorry 
to have to say his health is very bad. He 
has not recovered from his injury received 
in a fall a year or two ago and at his ad- 
vanced age, 93 I believe, it is difficult to 
cure. Three years ago he paid us a. visit 
ard at that time was intending to fly to Cent- 
ral Africa on some Palm investigations; he 
never made this trip due to the fall. While 
here, the writer mentioned his healthy look 
and that it was difficult to see why he had 
to miss college a year on account of his 
health. as was stated in a recent issue of the 
Michigan State College publication. He 
remarked in his characteristic manner. “I 
was broke” 
He had been going thru some of his old 
papers about this time and had come upon a 
notice from the bank at Grand Haven, 
I believe, where he then lived, saying that 
his note for $10.00 would soon be due and 
that they hoped he would be able to meet it! 
He remarked to me that it was that $10.00 
that be started to college and “I did not 
get $10.00 either they took the interest out 
first”. A wonderful man he is, 
A WORD ABOUT SEED 
We are always receving letters about sup- 
plying seeds to us. While we have estab- 
lished sources for most seeds we are interest- 
ed in sources of many kinds of which we 
have no regular source and therefore wel- 
come letters on the subject. 
SAPONARIA OCYMOIDES 
This is an old favorite for the rock garden 
or dry wall but to keep it in shape it should 
be cut back severely after it has flowered 
that the plant be neat and compact. i 
It produces showy loose sprays of large 
bright pink flowers from May to August 
for which it is especially valued. 
It does best in a gritty lime soil and in 
full sun. 
_ Biennis: bye-EN-niss; living two years. 
