330 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



the suckers sap the ground to about the same extent as the main 

 stalks, and very rarely produce good ears. Our experiments have 

 demonstrated that the tendency to produce suckers is strongly in- 

 herited and that this tendency can be overcome by breeding. In 

 carrying out experiments to determine this point, hand-pollenated 

 ears were produced in large numbers, records kept giving char- 

 acters of both parents, and all necessary precaution taken that the 

 test should show the influence of the two parents in regard to for- 

 mation of suckers. The results are tabulated on page 144 of Vol. II of 

 the American Breeders' Association. The progeny of both male and 

 female parents that possessed no suckers gave an average of two 

 and one-half per cent of suckers, while the progeny of the parents 

 that possessed suckers gave an average of fourteen and one-half 

 per cent of suckers. 



To produce a strain that will not sucker it is necessary to take 

 seed each year from stalks that do not produce suckers, and in 

 order that we may do this, it is advisable that breeding plats be 

 planted with one kernel in a place. If planted in hills it is prac- 

 tically impossible at harvest time to distinguish in some cases be- 

 tween suckers and main stalks. Furthermore, by planting one 

 kernel in a place it gives each stalk a better opportunity to demon- 

 strate its power of production. As it has also been shown that this 

 tendency to produce suckers is affected by the source from which 

 the pollen comes, it is advisable not only to detassel suckers, but to 

 detassel all stalks that produce a large number of suckers. 



This brings us to the question of detasseling. It is not to be 

 understood that detasseling is absolutely necessary in connection 

 with corn improvement work. Very great improvement can be 

 produced without any detasseling. But since it has been con- 

 clusively demonstrated that very injurious results follow self-fer- 

 tilization in corn, and since we know that under natural conditions 

 some self-fertilization takes place in a corn field, it is evident that 

 some injurious effects can be obviated by the detasseling of the 

 stalks from which seed is to be taken. As our energies are exerted 

 toward the determining of the ears of greatest producing power, 

 which can not be decided upon until harvest time, it is advisable 

 that half of the progeny of each ear be detasseled. If alteniating 

 rows be detasseled, as advocated by some breeders, it may and often 

 does happen that some of the most productive rows are not de- 

 tasseled. Very satisfactory results follow the detasseling of half 

 of each row, alternating, so that the north half of one row will be 

 detasseled and the south half of the adjoining row. If performed 



