192 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



although the field had been especially heavily dressed with 

 manure the plants were very light green in color. The ears of 

 corn were small in diameter, of short length, and the kernels 

 not much larger than those of pop corn. In talking with the 

 farmer I learned that his method of selecting corh was to select 

 seed from the bin. He picked those ears which looked good, 

 that is, had twelve straight rows of kernels, and I thought in- 

 clined to be a little bit fine in quality. That is, the character- 

 istics of the ears which he selected did not indicate vitality and 

 strength. He never paid any attention to the depth of the 

 kernel, but simply went by the outward appearance of the ear. 

 In the twelve-rowed flint corn we have quite markedly illus- 

 trated the fact that in this variety we find very few ears pos- 

 sessing waste space between the kernels. On the other hand, 

 any one who has endeavored to select even ten ears of corn 

 from .a bin containing only eight-rowed flint, I believe will have 

 experienced difficulty in finding ears which are compactly 

 covered with grain. Is there not a great opportunity in breed- 

 ing a variety of flint corn possessing twelve or more rows and 

 kernels deep like our dent corn. The value of our native flint 

 corn for ensilage is becoming greater each season in our dairy 

 industry, for dairymen realize more than ever that corn which 

 is glazed wdien put into the silo has a far greater feeding value 

 than our western dent corn which simply reaches the silking 

 stage in the latter part of August. In the one case we are put- 

 ting in a food containing a large percentage of carbohydrates 

 and in the other we are putting in mostly fibre and water. I 

 have had a great many dairymen ask me during the past season 

 where they could get a variety of flint corn that will mature in 

 their section, and be fit to cut into the silo before the. middle of 

 September. I have always advised them to examine the com 

 fields in their immediate locality and endeavor to find a strain 

 of corn that matured; that is, that has proved itself acclimated 

 to the same region in which their farms are situated. The 

 demand from dairymen for seed will increase year after year, 

 if the price of feeding stuffs for the dairy remains at the same 

 basis as today. More of our cattle feeds may be produced in 

 Maine, and especially if farmers in the dififerent counties of 

 the State are able to procure strains of seeds that will be certain 

 to produce high yields under good care and management. Each 

 member of the Maine Seed Improvement Association should 



