eoo 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



to develop. lu other words, the corn grower can begin where the breeder 

 left off. Lay out this acre with marker. Shell off the tips and butts of 

 the ears to be used for seed, and plant three kernels in every hill by hand, 

 covering with the lioe. Plant one row 112 hills long from each ear. Now 

 cultivate ordinarily. As soon as the' corn begins to tassel, go through the 

 field three times, once every other day, and cut oft' or pull out the tassels 

 of all stalks that have produced no shoots, all weakly stalks, and all 

 suckers. These barren and poor stalks produce more [)oll('n than the 

 stalks bearing ears, and it is important that this pollen does not fertilize 

 the future seed. The seed kernels will produce plants like the parents, 

 and if one of the parents is weak the chances are that this weakness 

 will crop out in some of the progeny. In Illinois this per cent, of barren 

 stalks has been reduced from (J2 per cent, to 12 per cent, in five years 

 from such attention. In the fall the number of good ears should be 

 counted in every row. The seed for the next seed field should be selected 

 from the five rows producing the largest number of good ears. The 

 prepotency in the seed for the production of this improved type can thus 

 be taken advantage of and the undesirable types weeded out of the 

 variety. The rest of the field can be used for general planting. 



Following is an outline of the above described field: 



