Agricultural Division. 



Corn — Distasseling Experiment. 



July 20, 1892, a portion of the University com field was selected 

 for an experiment in testing the effect of com production, (»f 

 removing the tassels as soon as they appeared. This portion (con- 

 sisted of forty-four rows of corn with twenty-seven hOls in eacli 

 row. This plot was surrounded on all sides by com of the general 

 com field, was of the same variety of com, Pride of the Jsorth, 

 and received the same cultivation as the rest of the field. 



The tassels were removed on alternate rows for the first twenty 

 rows and on three-fourths of the rows of the remaining twenty- 

 four rows. That is, the tassels were removed from three rows 

 and left on the fourth; removed from the next three and left 

 on the fourth, and so on throughout the twenty-four rows. The 

 tassels were removed as soon as they could be seen, and before 

 they had expanded. The operation was performed by hand by 

 giving the tassels an upward pull which caused the stalk to break 

 off above the upper joint without injuring the leaves at -ill. 



From the three experiments made at this station in detasseliug 

 corn it has been observed that it is of the utmost importance to 

 have the tassels removed at the earliest time possible, certainly 

 before they have become expanded, and still better if inclos'.Hl 

 within the folds of the leaf. These tassels may be readily 

 removed by pulling as described above when inclosed in the leaf, 

 if only the very tip of the tassel be exposed to view. And further, 

 it is essential that the tassels be removed in such a mann<?r that 

 the leaves are not in any way injured, which would be the case 

 were they removed at the proper time by a com knife. 



The following tables give the number of stalks, the abortive, 

 good and poor ears, the weight of stalks, and the weight of gt)od 

 and poor ears for each row. 



