104 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



longer period in which to mature and has the advantages over 

 the flint types of producing a larger amount of fodder and con- 

 siderably more shelled corn to the acre. 



The flint and dent types have undergone much change due to 

 the breeding work on com of the last half century. The dent 

 type has come to be the ideal of corn production now. The 

 flint corns have been grown in New England ever since the 

 country was discovered, and the dent type is universally grown 

 throughout the states that I have mentioned. There is not very 

 much difference between the flint and the dent corn so far as 

 composition is concerned. The cool weather and variable climate 

 have tended to develop a corn with a corneous kernel, and more 

 favorable corn weather has allowed to be developed the dent 

 variety. The chief dift'erence between these two is the fact that 

 with the dent type there is produced considerably more shelled 

 corn to the acre. Suppose you have the same number of ears 

 produced on an acre, the weight of shelled corn from the dent 

 will be considerably greater. The number of kernels on an ear 

 of the dent ranges from 900 to 1,000. and sometimes 1,400 on 

 extra good ears. On the ordinary eight or twelve rowed flint 

 corn we find the number of kernels to be three or four hundred, 

 possibly five hundred. The individual kernel of the eight 

 rowed flint corn might weigh more than the individual kernel 

 of the dent type, but in shelled corn per acre the smallness of 

 the cob and the size of the ears give a considerably smaller 

 production than with the dent com. 



I might say in this connection that in preparation for this 

 address I have been making a special study of the flint type, and 

 have weighed several ears, selecting those as nearly alike as 

 possible, and it is astonishing to find the number of bushels of 

 shelled corn to the acre. The standard for the dent varieties 

 is 90 per cent. It used to be 86 but has been raised to 90. Of 

 course the extra amount comes from the smallness of the cob 

 and the number of kernels. The flint types being grown in 

 Maine run from 80% to 85% shelled corn which is good. 



I am sure you will all admit that there is need of improvement 

 in the corns that are being grown in the countr}' today. In this 

 State, for instance, it is the too common practice to send to a 

 seedsman of the surrounding towns and buy seed that has been 



