262 AGRICUI^TURE Of MAINE. 



read the prize awards of New England fairs along about 1800 

 to 1825 he will quickly find that in order to stand any chance 

 at all in the corn competitions one had to get a yield of 100 or 

 more bushels of shelled corn to the measured acre. This was 

 with flint corn. How much of it will do that today? 



The general report from the recent corn show in Worcester 

 was to the eflfect that the flint corn shown was seriously lacking 

 in breeding. With the reawakening of interest in corn growing 

 in New England there is already a great demand for improved, 

 acclimated seed. This demand will increase markedly in the 

 next few years. Does not the breeding of seed to supply this 

 demand offer an opportunity to the Maine farmer? 



I hope that what I have said will serve in some small meas- 

 ure to indicate that it is worth the while of the members of this 

 association first to grow corn, and second to breed corn. The 

 first great requisite of successful agriculture is to feed crops 

 well. The second, and not less important, is to breed them well, 

 so as to have something that it is both a pleasure and a profit to 

 feed. 



Discussion. 



Ques. What about false rows, how can you breed them out? 



Ans. Well, I would take that to mean that the original sample 

 of seed that you started with was not the best thing to start with, 

 and I would start again. 



Q. There was one ear of an 8-rowed variety sent me that 

 had ten rows at the butt. I put that where I knew where it was, 

 but ought that to spread through the other rows ? 



A. Yes, I think it would. This ten-row character might be 

 spread by pollen of that row and could show in every other row 

 in the piece. 



O. Then it would have been better to have planted but nine 

 rows, and left the other out? 



A. Yes, in view of the outcome. 



Q. They did not tip out good. The ears sent me were well 

 formed as to tipping out, but there would be little snouts on 

 mine ? 



A. That matter of tipping out is influenced by the conditions 

 at the time of pollenation. With the best corn in the world, if 

 the conditions are right (or wrong, as you may say) just at the 

 time of the pollenation of the ears, you will get bad tips. 



