DAIRY, SEED IMPROVEMENT, STOCK BREEDERS' MEETINGS. 289 



DISCUSSION. 



Dr. G. jM. TwiTCHEi^L. 



I want to say in beginning that I am in a humble frame of 

 mind. I do not knOw as much as I used to, and I wonder if 

 anyone else here does. 



In years past I have been trying to solve a little problem on 

 a little piece of land ; I find continually such obstacles to be 

 met, such opportunities opening, that I must say I have not the 

 confidence in myself that I once had. I have enjoyed the ad- 

 dress of tihe Professor. I regret that I have not been able to 

 attend the meetings before, because O'f duties elsewhere which 

 could not be avoided. I think lie touched problems which we 

 need to take home and think ahout. We have our own peculiar 

 conditions. We have only one or two who grow Dent com. 

 We grow the flint variety. In the selection of stalks I think 

 we may well heed the advice of the Professor. 



Some questions confront us which I think we want to con- 

 sider well in the study of this problem. The average of the 

 State of Pennsylvania is placed at about 40 to 42 bushels. In 

 Maine, about the same; in Vermont this year, it was about 44. 

 A num'ber of men have been doing better than 100 bushels of 

 8-row flint comi, so that the whole question of large production 

 is not wholly dependent upon a 20-row ear, but it calls for the 

 study O'f the yield of the ear, rather than of some other points. 

 It is not an identical thing with growing 90 to 100 bushels of 

 Corn. 1 have yet to talk with anyone in Maine, who claims su- 

 perior methods. One man said he did only fair and honest 

 work, and took care of his crop throughout the season. Our 

 way of planting in this state as a rule is 36 inches and rows 

 three feet apart. Only one man in New England planting that 

 way said he got a stalk from every kernel planted, and to gen- 

 eral knowledge it was from every six. That man has been 

 nominated for the Anania's club. If we should get such seed 

 we should have from 18,000 to 20,000 stalks, and I have yet to 



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