Dairy Farming in Canada. 479 



Showing Effect of Selection. 



Selection is one of the most important factors in plant "breed- 

 ing, the natural capacity of all plants to vary furnishing the basis 

 on which the breeder has to work." 



The largest ears may grow on comparatively unproductive or 

 weak stalks, and, therefore, to obtain the best results seed corn 

 should be selected in the field, and attention given to the habit, 

 productiveness, general vigor, etc., of the plant, as well as to the 

 character of the ear, kernel and cob, and uniformity in ripening. 

 The same remarks apply to the selection of seed wheat." 



"Allen cites an interesting case of increased yield in corn as a 

 result of selection, as follows : ' Four years ago my foreman, at 

 my earnest request, began the selection of field corn for seed pur- 

 poses. He grew the white dent red-cob variety. Before harvesting 

 the main crop he went over the field and selected the lowest grow- 

 ing, stocky stalks, with two perfect ears each. lie has followed 

 the same plan ever since, with an increase of fully 25 per cent, in 

 productiveness.' " 



Succulent Feed for Cattle. 



Beside these matters connected with the management of the 

 soil and plants, great progress has also been made by dairy farm- 

 ers in choosing the sorts of crops and the areas of each to be 

 planted. It is now generally recognized that crops for dairy 

 cattle must not only be nutritious but succulent also. The growth 

 and feeding of turnips to horned cattle has been contemporaneous 

 with their improvement in nearly all countries; and turnips ap- 

 pear to supply the form of succulent feed during the winter 

 months, which brings about the best development of constitutional 

 vigor. The feeding of turnips to milch cows during their dry 

 periods is advantageous in every sense. However, I do not wish 

 to be understood at all as advocating the feeding of turnips to 

 milking cows when succulent feed of quite as economical and more 

 suitable nature, such as mangels, carrots, Indian corn ensilage and 

 others, can be obtained. For milking cows in stables the following 

 may be taken as a sort of standard ration for economy and effi- 

 ciency. Of course, it would have to be modified according to local 

 conditions of soil, climate, cattle and products wanted by each 

 individual farmer. I put it forward more as being suggestive 

 than as being one to be copied into everybody's practice. 



