126 The Plant World. 



When the grain is in the dough state, assemble the marked 

 stalks and, after stripping down the husks, very carefully select 

 and tag those in which the ear and the grain are nearest to the 

 ideal. The ears from each of tliese selected plants should be 

 carefulh- numbered, dried and stored. The next spring mark 

 out near tlie center of the largest available field of the sort, a 

 block of 4, 9, or 16 square rods for each of the selected ears, and 

 plant each block with seed from one of the selected plants. 



It is wise in making the planting to reserve at least one- fifth 

 of the seed on each ear, not only for replanting, if necessar^', but 

 so that reference ma\" be made to the exact character of the 

 I)arent stock. \\ hen the corn is coming into silk carefully go 

 o\ er the l)locks and select those in which the ])lants in stalk, 

 leaf, husk, silk and tassel are most uniforralv of the desired 

 character, rejecting the plants which show the greatest varia- 

 tion, even if some of them, as will in all probability be the case, 

 are among the most perfect plants in the field. 



When the corn is passing into the dough state go over the 

 selected hi ;cks, and, stri])ping down the husks, select the blocks 

 in which the ears are most uniforndy of the desired varietal 

 character, i ejecting, as in the selection of the individual plants, 

 all the ears, no mattei how perfect they may l)e, from the blocks 

 showing the greatest variation. As a ride it will be best to select 

 se\ cral blocks in order to the loss in vegetative vigor which in 

 the corn plant, often follows too close breeding. 



From the chosen blocks select a number of the most per- 

 fect ears, to be tagged, numbered, kept separate, and again 

 planted in separate blocks next season. The balance of the 

 corn from the selected blocks can be gathered and the better 

 ears bulked and used the following season for planting the field 

 in which the seed l)locks are to be located. 



Working in tliis way, never losing sight of or changing the 

 ideal varietal characteristics of the sort, alwaAS selecting from 

 the most uniform k)t, resisting the temptation to use an ex- 

 rcptionall)- jjcrfect ear fotind in a variable block, one can have 

 in a few years established strains which will be greatlv super- 

 ior in practical \alue to most of the seed now used. 



The second half of the bulletin is devoted to the growing 

 of garden beans and peas for seed, and includes important sug- 



