24 CROSSBEEEDING CORN. 



the heavier producmg parent and 16 per cent increase over the 

 average of its two parents. The 'VMiitecap cross also gave 16 per 

 cent increase over the average of its two parents and 12 per cent 

 over the heavier producing parent, but in grain production it fell 

 6 per cent below the better of its two parents. 



Of the 14 first-generation crosses of distinct varieties 10 produced 

 fewer pounds of stover than the heavier yielding of the two parents. 



CORN CROSSES AT CHICO, CAL., 1910. 

 CONDITIONS OF THE TEST. 



The crosses made in 1909 in Marjdand were also growTi at Chico, 

 Cal., in 1910, in comparison A\ith their parent varieties. The plant- 

 ine:s were so arrano;ed that each row of the cross came between rows 

 of its parent varieties. 



The soil upon which these plantings were made was medium loam 

 which had gro\\^l alfalfa for four years previous to 1910. 



The land was broken to a depth of about 10 inches in December, 

 1909, with a second breaking in April, 1910, to a depth of 6 inches, 

 and marked out in shallow furrows 3^ feet apart. Both plowings 

 were made in lands running north and south and the corn rows were 

 marked out east and west, so that no rows would fall on dead or back 

 furrows. 



On April 14 three kernels were dropped by hand in each hill in 

 the furrows and lightly covered with the foot. Hills were 3| feet 

 apart in the row and 80 to each row. Four cultivations were given 

 during the season. 



On account of the surface soil being somewhat dry at planting time 

 and some seed being taken by gophers, an uneven stand resulted. 



The rainfall after planting amounted to less than one-half inch 

 and no irrigation was given. Sufficient water was contained in the 

 soil early in the season to give all varieties a good growth of stalk, 

 the average height being about 8^ feet. This moisture supply 

 was not great enough, however, to produce a good crop of ears. 

 Many of the ears were small and about 25 per cent of the stalks were 

 barren. 



The number of stalks per row, number of hills, average number 

 of stalks per hill, pounds of ears per row, average number of pounds 

 per stalk, percentage increase in yield per stalk of cross over the better 

 parent, number of good and poor ears, and weight of stover are given 

 in Table VI. 



218 



