But the wind was west at that date,
and it is so to-day, showing our coldest weather comes from that
direction rather than from the northwest or north. The explanation I
suppose to be, those great fountains of cold storage, the Colorado
mountains, lie west and southwest of us, and are several hundred miles
nearer than the lower peaks and ranges northwest.
* * * * *
It is an interesting and important truth to know at this time that an
unexpected source for seed corn has been discovered here at home. It has
been ascertained by experiment and investigation that the early frosted
corn, which has been allowed to stand in the field, has a sound germ,
and though shrunken, will make fairly good seed, whereas corn which was
not frosted till late in October, and ripened in most respects, save
drying out, is wholly unfit for seed, having had the cells of the
kernels ruptured by the freezings it has been subjected to. This rupture
of cells the grain of the frosted corn escaped, having parted with the
surplus water of vegetation before hard weather set in. However, the
early frosted and shrunken cane fit for seed may be confined to this
county or neighborhood, or a narrow area, and therefore I advise every
one who thinks of making use of it to ascertain for himself, by the
usual methods, whether the germ is sound or not.
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