SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETING. 265 



higher yield than the average of the year before. But all the 

 actual figures, so far as I know, of the ear-to-row method of 

 breeding, do not justify that assumption, so far at least as con- 

 cerns the character yield. 



What we have to do is to find that ear which will produce 

 a high-yielding row, and the next year produce a high-yielding 

 row again, and so on indefinitely. In other words, we must 

 find the prepotent individual. We have tested in the Station 

 work hundreds of ears and their progeny rows, and out of the 

 hundreds we have found just one row that seems to transmit 

 with certainty high yielding qualities. There were other ears 

 that seemed in the first generation as good as that, but they 

 lacked the ability to dominate, as it were, all the inferior strains 

 that mixed with them in fertilization, and keep up the yield. 

 I think the occurrence of such a prepotent corn plant probably 

 happens only about as often as you get a great sire in trotting 

 horses, for example, and the occurrence of such prepotent indi- 

 viduals quite certainly is something that with our present knowl- 

 edge man cannot control. When such a favorable variation is 

 sent along by Nature what we want to do is to know how to 

 take advantage of it and know how to perpetuate and not lose it. 



The practical question is : What method shall we follow in 

 breeding corn ? and today there seems to be nothing better than 

 to practise the ear-to-row method. Anyone doing that, how- 

 ever, must not be disappointed if he does not get the results 

 expected right off. Do not be disappointed if when you plant 

 the 80-bushel row it does not yield higher than the 5-bushel row. 



The next point to be considered, although I am not yet ready 

 to give any positive advice on it, is the question of detasseling. 

 Personally, I am in favor of detasseling alternate rows and 

 taking the seed only from stalks that have had the tassel re- 

 moved, thus preventing any self-fertilization. I am not guar- 

 anteeing to you that this is going to raise your yield greatly, 

 but I think it is a good thing to practise in connection with our 

 ear-to-row method. It is, I believe, good practise to detassel 

 barren stalks and suckers in the breeding plot. 



Q. Why not remove the stalk? 



A. You can, but detasseling is easier and you save the 

 fodder. 



