No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 599 



want, as the environment in which they grew. Consequently the 

 best thing for us is to provide our own seeds by doing everything 

 in our power to produce them. 



Now, I want to say something about improving our corn, and what 

 I shall say will apply particularly to these Pennsylvania varieties. 

 I presume that corn has been quite as instrumental in improving 

 our animals as anything else. But most people fail in their estimate 

 of corn and other crops because they do not take into consideration 

 all the elements of excellence and quality that may be necessary 

 to be considered. For instance, you go into the corn crib or potato 

 cellar, and find an excellent specimen; you may say it is excellent 

 because it is healthy, large, a fine looking specimen in every way. 

 Now if you select that specimen on one of these factors, the chances 

 are that by planting that specimen you may not succeed in produc- 

 ing what you desire. The fact is, you should take into considera- 

 tion other factors. 



The score card, while imperfect in many respects, yet serves to 

 emphasize some of the features of a good ear of corn. When these 

 various features are given their relative values and then considered 

 along with yield and environment a good basis for improvement is 

 established. 



Uniformity of exhibit and trueness of type 10 



Market and seed condition 10 



Shape of ears 5 



Color — Kernels 5 



Cob 5 



Tips 5 



Butts 5 



Length 5 



Circumference 5 



Kernels — Shape 10 



Uniformity 10 



Furrows between kernels 5 



Space at cob 5 



Percentage of grain 51 



100 



For the uniformity and trueness of type, we give 10 points; 

 while this does not necessarily apply to the excellence of seed corn, 

 we all like to look at beautiful things, and I claim there is just as 

 much beauty of its kind, in an ear of corn of good length and 

 straight rows as there is in anything else; therefore it is quite as 

 proper to show a beautiful ear of corn as a beautiful picture. There- 

 fore we give ten points for uniformity and trueness of type. Next 

 comes the market and seed conditions, which I have just referred 

 to. Of coure it will be impossible to judge it strictly — I propose to 

 use this score card in judging the exhibits — on these points, be- 

 cause most of the corn has been recently taken from the crib and 

 in looking it over I find very few ears that are dry or have the 

 market features in prime condition. We give that 10 points. So 

 far as the shape of the ears is concerned, we only give it 5 points, 

 Ears differ so much in shape, but, in a word, we like an ear that 

 is nearly cylindrical as possible. Still, it can be said from actual 



