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  INTRODUCTION 
  TO 
  BOTANY 
  

  

  Six 
  well-defined 
  types 
  of 
  corn 
  are 
  recognized, 
  but 
  only 
  four 
  

   are 
  of 
  much 
  economic 
  importance. 
  These 
  are 
  pop 
  cum, 
  with 
  

   small 
  kernels 
  and 
  with 
  endosperm 
  all 
  or 
  nearly 
  all 
  horn-like; 
  

   flint 
  corn, 
  with 
  much 
  horn-like 
  endosperm 
  and 
  a 
  gram 
  too 
  hard 
  

   to 
  be 
  fed 
  to 
  most 
  animals 
  without 
  being 
  ground: 
  Ji-nt 
  <-rn, 
  

   with 
  the 
  kernels 
  indented 
  at 
  the 
  outer 
  end 
  ; 
  and 
  sweet 
  corn, 
  in 
  

   which 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  starch 
  of 
  the 
  endosperm 
  is 
  replaced 
  by 
  a 
  

   kind 
  of 
  sugar. 
  Of 
  these 
  four 
  kinds 
  dent 
  corn 
  is 
  by 
  far 
  the 
  most 
  

   important, 
  constituting 
  the 
  great 
  bulk 
  of 
  the 
  crop 
  in 
  the 
  corn 
  

   belt. 
  Each 
  of 
  the 
  types 
  of 
  corn 
  has 
  many 
  varieties; 
  of 
  dent 
  

   corn 
  alone 
  more 
  than 
  three 
  hundred 
  have 
  been 
  named 
  and 
  

   described. 
  Most 
  of 
  these 
  varieties 
  are 
  found 
  to 
  show 
  slight 
  

   variations, 
  which 
  make 
  them 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  desirable 
  for 
  the 
  

   corn 
  grower, 
  and 
  his 
  efforts 
  must 
  be 
  directed 
  mainly 
  toward 
  

   improving 
  the 
  quality 
  of 
  existing 
  kinds. 
  

  

  173. 
  Qualities 
  sought 
  by 
  the 
  corn 
  breeder. 
  1 
  Of 
  the 
  many 
  

   qualities 
  that 
  may 
  be 
  sought 
  by 
  the 
  corn 
  grower 
  four 
  of 
  the 
  

   most 
  important 
  are 
  (1) 
  productiveness 
  ; 
  (2) 
  high 
  percentage 
  of 
  

   proteins; 
  (3) 
  high 
  percentage 
  of 
  oil; 
  (4) 
  low 
  percentage 
  of 
  oil. 
  

  

  With 
  reference 
  to 
  (1) 
  it 
  suffices 
  here 
  to 
  say 
  that 
  the 
  aver- 
  

   age 
  yield 
  of 
  corn 
  for 
  the 
  entire 
  United 
  States, 
  according 
  to 
  

   statistics 
  for 
  1908, 
  was 
  a 
  little 
  over 
  26 
  bushels 
  per 
  acre 
  ; 
  for 
  

   the 
  New 
  England 
  States, 
  with 
  soil 
  no 
  better 
  than 
  the 
  aver- 
  

   age, 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  poorer 
  climate, 
  it 
  was 
  40.5 
  bushels 
  ; 
  and 
  for 
  

   some 
  New 
  England 
  growers 
  it 
  was 
  100 
  or 
  more 
  bushels 
  per 
  

   acre. 
  No 
  small 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  difference 
  between 
  the 
  average 
  26- 
  

   bushel 
  yield 
  and 
  the 
  100-bushel 
  yield 
  depends 
  on 
  the 
  choice 
  

   of 
  seed, 
  though 
  cultivation 
  and 
  soil 
  are 
  also 
  important 
  factors. 
  2 
  

  

  1 
  See 
  Bulletins 
  55, 
  82, 
  and 
  87, 
  Illinois 
  Agricultural 
  Experiment 
  Station. 
  

  

  2 
  See 
  Massachusetts 
  Crop 
  Report, 
  May, 
  1910. 
  

  

  Throughout 
  the 
  Southern 
  states 
  and 
  elsewhere 
  boys' 
  corn 
  clubs 
  are 
  coming 
  to 
  

   be 
  extensively 
  organized. 
  The 
  object 
  of 
  these 
  clubs 
  is 
  to 
  grow 
  more 
  and 
  better 
  

   corn 
  by 
  choiceof 
  the 
  best 
  seed 
  and 
  by 
  thorough 
  cultivation. 
  In 
  the 
  State 
  Corn 
  

   CM 
  ub 
  Show 
  held 
  at 
  At 
  Ian 
  (a. 
  Georgia, 
  in 
  December. 
  l'.12, 
  there 
  were 
  exhibits 
  

   made 
  by 
  70 
  buys 
  who 
  had 
  each 
  grown 
  100 
  or 
  more 
  bushels 
  of 
  corn 
  to 
  the 
  acre. 
  

   The 
  state 
  record 
  for 
  a 
  boy's 
  crop 
  (raised 
  at 
  a 
  profit) 
  is 
  held 
  by 
  Ben 
  Leath, 
  of 
  

   Kensington, 
  Georgia, 
  who 
  in 
  1911 
  grew 
  214 
  bushels 
  and 
  40 
  pounds 
  of 
  corn 
  on 
  

   one 
  acre, 
  at 
  a 
  net 
  profit 
  of 
  $182.60. 
  See 
  Bulletin 
  175, 
  University 
  of 
  Georgia. 
  

  

  