Corn Growers' Association. 331 



in this way, not enough tassels are removed to interfere with proper 

 fertilization of the silks. 



In weighing the past fall the yields from the rows of some of 

 our breeding plats it was determined that injurious results had 

 followed detasseling in certain instances, but this was attributable 

 to the fact that too much of the top of the stalk was cut off in the 

 process. Tests in regard to this point made in other breeding plats 

 show that no injurious effects follow the detasseling when properly 

 performed. The best method of detasseling is the pulling of the 

 tassels soon after they appear. If taken at the right time the tassels 

 unjoint readily and can be easily pulled. To accomplish desired 

 results the tassels must be removed before they discharge any 

 pollen. The cutting off of the top of the stalk, especially if some 

 of the blades be cut off, is injurious and should not be practiced. 



Next in importance after uniform treatment of seed ears, uni- 

 formity of soil conditions, and uniformity in plowing, planting, 

 cultivating, etc., comes the question of uniformity of stand of stalks. 

 Comparative powers of production can not be determined unless 

 the stand of stalks is comparatively uniform. Tests conducted by 

 many experiment stations demonstrate the great influences exerted 

 by distance of planting. Absolutely uniform stands are next to im- 

 possible, and I have no toleration for experiments that are cal- 

 culated to a uniform stand, when in reality many of the rows con- 

 tain one-fourth to one-half more stalks than others. These cal- 

 culations are very misleading. If a row having three-fourths of 

 a stand produces 300 pounds of corn, we can not correctly assume 

 that this row would have produced 400 pounds had there been a 

 full stand. If the stand is too thick it is not fair to assume that 

 the production would have been one-fourth less had the number 

 of stalks been one-fourth less. Neither is it fair to assume that 

 because the rows have been thinned in the spring to a stand of 

 three stalks per hill, or one stalk every 18 inches, that the stands 

 are even in the fall. Actual counts of the stalks per row must be" 

 made at harvest time, and all rows that do not approach very 

 closely to a perfect stand should be thrown out of the test. 



Because of poor germination, and because of the exhibition of 

 very undesirable characters, some of the rows of the breeding plats 

 can be thrown out of the test without spending upon them any time 

 in counting or selecting seed. If these undesirable characters can 

 be ascertained before the shedding of pollen, such rows can be de- 

 tasseled, and thus obviate the injurious effects that are sure to 



