THE GROWING OF CORN. 81 



seed in 1875, when I reported the result of an experiment (to 

 be found in Appendix of " Agriculture of jNIassachusetts " of 

 that 3^ear) ; the seed used appearing to the eye of equally- 

 good quality, but from different sources. The field was of 

 like history, was manured alike with dung, and was culti- 

 vated as one field. 



BUSHELS 

 6UELLED CORN. 



Seed-corn A yielded, with manure .... 110 

 Seed-corn A yielded, without manure ... 68 

 Seed-corn B yielded, with manure .... 55 



Here the better seed yielded, without manure, more than 

 the inferior seed with manure ; and under equivalent cir- 

 cumstances the better seed yielded just double the crop of 

 the inferior. 



After thinking over this result, which seemed to me sur- 

 prising, I concluded to attempt the forming of a seed-corn 

 of prolific habit. I became aware that the appearance of the 

 ear was but a secondary consideration, the past cropping of 

 the seed being the primar}^ In the " Report of the Secretary 

 of the Connecticut Board of Agriculture, 1878," will be 

 found an essay of mine, entitled " Seed-breeding," wherein I 

 have developed my theory, and stated my facts. In the 

 " Agriculture of Maine, 1878-79," under the title " Seed- 

 Corn," I have given other selections. The summary of my 

 procedure is this: as corn has an hereditary character, I 

 secured prolific male parentage by carefully castrating the 

 tassels from the barren stalks in my seed-growing field, and 

 then selected the best ears of the crop for next year's seed- 

 ing. The results have been marked. I have secured pro- 

 lificacy, uniformity of ear, and a heavy corn-grain. 



Take a stalk of Waushakum corn at the first showing of the 

 tassel, and cut it across at the nodes, or joints. On the five 

 lower nodes will be found embryo ears ; the largest and earli- 

 est-developed being upon the upper nodes. Now, nature 

 has provided for five ears of corn ; and although, as a rule, 

 the upper ears have more length, and a greater number of 

 ovules, than the lower, yet the second ear down is nearly or 

 quite as well filled with ovules, the third somewhat inferior, 

 the fourth shorter still, and the last one, near the ground, yet 

 shorter. When the pollen begins to fall in the field, the 



