278 ' STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, 



Most of our best corn growers continue to cultivate even after the corn 

 has tasseled. 



BARREN STALKS. 



When the ears have well set, count and record the number of stalks 

 bearing no ears. If there are many of the latter, some way should be 

 sought to lessen the number in the future. The presence of such stalks 

 may be due to at least two causes, (1) inherited barrenness, (2) to 

 improper nutrition. 



CORN IMPROVEMENT. 



In the improvement of corn the following things are sought, and in 

 the order named: 



1. Increased yields. 



2. Improved qualities. 



3. Fixation of character — prepotency — the power to trans- 



mit to succeeding generations certain well-defined 

 fixed characters and these within reasonably narrow 

 limits. 



INCREASED YIELDS. 



In improving for yields merely, it is sought to increase the power of 

 the plant to use larger amounts of food and produce more grain or 

 fodder, or both. The plant must have more energy. To accomplish 

 this end two lines of procedure are open to us: 



1. Selection : 



(a) general. 



(b) controlled. 



2, Cross fertilizing: 



(a) general. 



(b) controlled. 



The real work of improvement in both cases will be done in plots. 

 and as described here, may be taken up by any farmer interested in corn 

 improvement. 



SELECTION. 



This work begins in the field of growing, ripening corn. The field is 

 explored for the most perfect ears in size, form and depth of kernel 

 found on the most perfect stalks as regards foliage, size, energy and 

 time of maturing ear. Generally, not many ears will be found coming 

 up to the ideal of the exi^erimenter. These ears should be carefully 

 saved for planting. 



(la) The grain from these ears may be. mixed and planted in an 

 area by itself away from the rest of the corn on the farm, or the area 

 may constitute a part of the regular corn field; but in the latter case, 

 it should constitute the southwest corner of the field because the winds 

 in Michigan are chiefly from the southwest, and, while from that direc- 

 tion, will not bring pollen from the poorer parts of the field to cross 



