coKX growers' association. 251 



be allowed to ripen pollen. Aside from these selected rows, all weak or 

 otherwise infei-ior stalks in the tassel rows should also be detasseled, so 

 that they may not take part in fertilizing the selected rows. The object 

 of this detasseliug, you will remember, is to prevent inbreeding. 



When the corn is ripe husk the product of each of the detasseled 

 rows separately. In case there was more than one of these planted from 

 a single ear, they should be put together. You can now compare the 

 products of the various ears and make your selection of single ears for 

 the next year's planting. In determining the lots from which to select, 

 the two important factors to be taken into consideration are the yield 

 and the proportion of ears of the desired type. Select the rows, or lots, 

 which gave the largest j-ields and the largest proportion of ears true to 

 the desired type. Both factors must be considered. Accurate weights 

 of the j'ields must be made, and these should be recorded in the pedigrees 

 of the ears which produced them. Selection should be made only from 

 the detasseled rows, because they are the only ones of which you are 

 sure that they have not been inbred. Inbreeding weakens the consti- 

 tution and may result in a very Inferior product the next season. Select 

 from at least two lots and use the ears from the better one for the 

 mother plants, "or the detasseled rows next year. Possibly three or four 

 lots will be good enough to select from. After you have made j'our selec- 

 tion for next year's seed plat, the remainder of the good ears in the 

 good lots should be selected as seed for the next year's bulk crop. A con- 

 tinuation of this method of breeding and selection is bound to result in 

 more and better corn, and you Avill be many times repaid for the entire 

 time and labor involved in this work. 



Breeding for Higher Feeding Value.— In breeding for higher feeding 

 A-alue the same general methods as in breeding for yield and uniformity 

 are followed, with the addition of selecting the ears that are rich in the 

 important food constituents — namely, protein and oil. In this selection 

 give due attention, first of all, to yielding power and uniformity. These 

 qualities must never be lost sight of. The larger the number of ears 

 from which you cap select the better. 



First select for their general qualities several time's the number of 

 ears you intend to use, and then go over them again for their feeding 

 value, and select for use those ears the kernels of which have a large pro- 

 portion of germ and a small proportion of the white floury matter. Ex- 

 amine several kernels from each ear by cutting them crosswise near the 

 tip and lengthwise through the middle, as shown in the chart. The ker- 

 nels of each ear are approximately alike. The relative proportion of 

 germ, horny and floury portions can thus be easily seen. The larger the 

 germ the better, because it is richest in protein and contains most of 

 the oil. The horny portion contains the largest total amount of protein 

 in the kernel. 



