VOL. LXVKI
INDIANAPOLIS, MAY 3, 1913
NO. 18
How to Increase the Yield of the Corn Crop
The character of the seed used is
one of the most important factors in
the production of a large corn crop,
and especially because it is so liable to
be defective. Fertile soil, good cultural methods, protection against insect enemies and plant diseases, are all
of the utmost importance in contributing to the final results, but none of
these factors can make amends for
poor seed. A full stand of vigorous
plants must be  secured    and  the only
By Prof. A. T. Wiancko, in Recent Purdue Circular.
adapted to his soil and climatic conditions, the farmer can add much to his
crop yield without additional expense.
It costs no more to tend a good variety
than it does to tend a poor one. Good
varieties can easily be secured. No
one has a patent or monopoly on them.
In selecting a variety,  care must be
State was published in the Farmer of
April 19.
Tlie Germination T<?st.
No farmer can afford to neglect testing the vitality of his seed corn, no
matter how carefully It has been
stored.     There  are  so  many  ways  In
erly selected and tested, they are ready
to be shelled and the grain prepared for
planting. The small and irregular
kernels at the tips of the ears and the
large irregular ones at the butts must
be shelled off flrst and discarded. Irregular kernels in the body of the ear
should also be discarded as completely as possible, so that only those kernels which are of uniform size and
shape may go to the planter. This
discarding of the small tip,  large butt,
way to secure it is by using good seed.
Making sure of good seed is one of the
cheapest and simplest ways of increasing the corn crop, but its very simplicity Is a danger, since It causes so many
farmers to overlook its importance.
In defining good seed we must think
of several things. First, Uie variety
of corn must be one that is adapted to
the soil and climatic conditions where
it is to be used. Second, the seed ears
must come from well-developed stalks
growing under normal conditions.
Third, the seed prepared for planting
must be strong in vitality and the kernels graded to uniform sizes for the
planter.
Tlie Variety of Corn.
In testing the relative productiveness
of varieties of corn under the same
conditions, enormous differences have
been found. Such differences are Inherent in the variety; they are varietal
characteristics just as much as color,
size of ear, or shape of kernel. Thero
are many different varieties, or strains
of corn, differing very much in yield-
lng Power. By selecting a high yielding variety,  or strain  of enrr-   that  Is
exercised to get one that will mature
properly. Much loss has been occasioned by attempting to grow varieties
that are too large and late for the locality. There is a wide range of difference between varieties produced In
different latitudes as regards the length
of season required for their proper development. The larger varieties of
the southern portion of the State will
not mature in the northern portion and
the northern varieties will not occupy
the full season, and are too small for
southern Indiana. Seed corn' should
always be secured as near home as
possible, or at least In the same latitude. Indiana has good varieties for
every section, or at least as good as
can be found anywhere. Nothing better can be secured by going to other
states.
There are, doubtless, many good varieties or strains of corn In Indiana
with which we are not acquainted, but
In the thousands ot tests that have
been conducted throughout the State
in the last eight years by this station
certain varieties have been found to
be uniformly superior to others. The
list of varieties found suitable for this
which the vitality of seed corn may
be Injured that it is never safe to assume that all of it ls in good condition.
There may not be a single ear that will
not grow, but there are very likely to
be odd ones that are weak, and these
are the ones which the germination
test will help to weed out. Any one
familiar with corn can detect a dead
germ and pick out the ears that have
been fatally injured, but a weak germ
cannot be detected by any other means
than the actual germination test. Every
weak ear that goes to the planter
means several hundreds of weak plants,
or vacant places in the field, and a corresponding loss In yield.
The germination test may be made
in various ways, but in all cases each
ear should be tested by Itself. Experiments have amply shown that as a
rule the testing of a few kernels, picked
at random from different parts of the
ear, will safely determine whether or
not the ear should be used for seed.
The Individual ear test is the only
means of finding out which are the
poor and which are the really good
ears.
After the seed pans hav« been prop-
and other Irregular kernels ls very important, because lt Is Impossible lor
any planting machine to regularly drop
the required number of grains per hill
If they are not of the same size and
shape. Many a poor stand of corn Is
due solely to ununlform seed.
Each ear should be shelled by itself
and grain spread out thinly and
carefully examined for broken, mouldy,
or otherwise damaged kernels. It Is
a good plan to use a set of screens of
two sizes through which to pass the
shelled corn, discarding that which Is
retained on the larger and that which
passes through the smaller. When
seed of uniform size must be used, it
should be graded Into large, medium
and small sizes, and a suitable planter
plate used for each.
Testing the Planter.
Having graded the corn and made It
as uniform as possible, we must next
find the set of planter plates that will
drop the required number of kernels
at least ninety-five times in every hundred. The planter should be set up
In a convenient place and operated by
Continued on page 9.