No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 541 



Now, then after yon have selected this seed corn carefully, you 

 want to take good care of it. The best kind of care of it. Put 

 it some place where it is dry and where the air can get at it and dry 

 it out so that there is not sufficient moisture in it to freeze when the 

 temperature goes to zero and below. And then after you have 

 got on that far and you start in with corn breeding, — and let me 

 repeat again, I do not care what part of the State of Pennsylvania 

 you live in you can develop a corn that will be suited to your climate 

 and to your soil and the best corn to do it with is the corn that 

 you have now. Go out there into that field, select the kind that 

 we have talked about, select those ears we have said you ought to 

 select and the kind of the grain and begin breeding from them and 

 breed up five or six ^-ears, or seven years you will have developed 

 a corn that will be better suited for the climate and soil conditions 

 that you have than any corn you can get anywhere else, I don't 

 care where you get it, I believe it is the bounden duty of the farm- 

 ers of Pennsylvania to breed up along this line and do that work. 



The CHAIEMAN: We have a few moments we can spare yet if 

 there is any one that would like to ask the Professor a question. 



MR. WALTER E. SEELY: I would like to raise a corn that 

 has a high protein value, and I must go home from here not knowing 

 which of these varieties is best. Would it not be possible to have 

 a little typewritten list accompany these various types that we 

 might have the information along with the show. This has been 

 the first corn show that it has been my privilege to visit. I have 

 read somewhere that different varieties of corn differ in their con- 

 tents. I am not saying this to criticise, because older heads have 

 brought this meeting about than myself, men of more experience, 

 but I am going to say I am very much disappointed in looking over 

 the varieties of corn here, that a little more of the history and an- 

 alyses is not given with some of the varieties. I would like to raise 

 a com that is particularly high in protein. 



PROF. MENGES: Mr. Chairman, might I reply to that question 

 for a minute? It is Jiot very difficult to determine the quality. 

 I would not like to say composition, but the quality of corn, cut 

 by the use of your pocket knife. Take your pocket knife and cut 

 a grain parallel with the one side, lay it open and there you will 

 see the various components that enter into the composition of a 

 grain of corn. You have the outside hull, then you have the gluten, 

 then you have the starch coming next to the germ, on both sides of 

 the germ and then you have what you call the corn starch and the 

 germ. "S^Tien you have a grain in which that hard, horny gluten 

 moves in and nearly touches the germ and sometimes entirely touches 

 it, you can conclude that you have a corn that is high in protein, 

 because eighty-five per cent, of protein in a grain of corn is con- 

 tained in that homy gluten and in the germ. Now, that is the only 

 thing to do, don't let it be understood that my talk would lead any- 

 body to think that it is absolutely conclusive, but it is well nigh 

 absolutely conclusive that you have a high protein corn, when you 

 have these conditions. 



MR. C. T. MITCHELL: In regards to Prof. Menges' speech about 

 the reiiter and the owners of the farm, about selecting this seed 



