342 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



does so well on thin uplands, while a corn that will produce satis- 

 factory results on a soil that is well worn is usually too small for the 

 bottoms or more fertile soils. In selecting corn for seed, therefore, 

 it may be given as a general rule that the soil on which a variety 

 of corn has been grown should be as nearly as possible like that 

 on which the seed is to be planted. There has been considerable 

 discussion on this point by practical farmers, many contending 

 that in order to produce good seed corn the best ground on the 

 place should be selected for growing it. Others contend that corn 

 grown on thin land will have greater feeding capacity, and, there- 

 fore, greater possibilities for a large yield. Experiments and the 

 experience of plant breeders, however, point to the conclusion that 

 for corn to do its best the soil should not be far different from that 

 on which the seed was grown. 



The climatic differences, of course, have a great effect on the 

 character and growth of corn, while the effect of season is too well 

 known to need comment. As a general proposition it can be said 

 that for the highest yields the variety grown should have a growing 

 season sufficient to just use up all of the time before frost — no 

 more, no less. Should the variety be early, and should there follow 

 two or three weeks of good corn weather, after it has matured, the 

 yield will not be so great as with a variety which had this extra time 

 for growth and the production of starch. On the other hand, a late 

 variety, caught by the frost, will not fill out its full amount of 

 starch, and the grains will be shrunken, usually low in vitality, al- 

 ways loose on the cob. Should a locality be subject to drought, 

 however, the variety best adapted will depend upon the time the 

 drought comes. If it comes early, a rather late corn that will not 

 reach the critical time (the shooting stage) until after the drought 

 has passed, may be best; if the drought is late, an early variety 

 that will pass this critical time before the drought comes on will 

 doubtless prove best. Since one cannot forecast the weather, the 

 only thing that can be done is to prepare for the weather that is 

 most common by planting the variety which will come nearest 

 fitting average seasons. The problem of finding the variety best 

 adapted to any particular soil or locality is one of great importance 

 to the farmer, and one which it may take years of experimenting to 

 solve with perfect satisfaction. One of the most important tasks 

 of the cornbreeder is the developing of strains that are perfectly 

 adapted to certain conditions of soil and climate. A corn may have 

 finish and style, so far as the score card is concerned, and still lack 

 an adaptability on this soil or that which can be imparted to it only 



