No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 601 



Next comes the shape of the kernels. Now, the shape indicates 

 two things, either weakness in growth, or vigor. In the first place 

 we want them fitted as full as possible; this means that they are 

 not too long, but are more or less square, as in this ear. Take 

 this ear of dent corn; as we look at it from all sides we see it slightly 

 tapering toward the tip, with rows well filled out and close to- 

 gether. It is not desirable to have the rows dovetailed together, 

 but we would like them to run well together tapering. Now, if it 

 tapers when you look at it in this way, it indicates poor seed 

 qualities. Sometimes you can tell something of the seed quality 

 of the corn by the shape of the kernel. You want to avoid the 

 shoepeg shaj^e of the kernel. They are slow in their development, 

 and have small kernels. Likewise you want to avoid furrows 

 between the kernels. That happens sometimes because of the 

 shape of the kernels, and sometimes bcause of the size of the cob. 

 Of course, there is the famous "Hickory King" corn of the South, 

 which is characteristic in that respect, but in all other respects 

 this wide row or furrow between the kernels should be avoided. 

 Here is an ear that is very irregular, and here is one that shows a 

 very small kernel. Now, this is important, because most corn is 

 planted with a planter, and irregularity in size and shape will al- 

 most invariably result in irregularity in planting. The idea is to 

 have it uniformly planted. If you want three stalks to a hill, you 

 want three, and not five in one hill and three in another, and so 

 you take an ear of this kind, while it may be vital and productive, 

 it is a very poor seed ear, because it would plant irregularily. 



Then I come to the last percentage of grain, lo per cent. Now, 

 some of the score cards that are used in Iowa and Nebraska do 

 not use this; they speak of the size of the cob, and so on. But for 

 Pennsylvania it is better to use this. In this part of Pennsylvania 

 we do not, as a rule, want a large cob, because a large cob indicates 

 a long growing period, and also because a smaller cob is more 

 easily dried out. With a large cob you have a variety that re- 

 quires a long growing period, and in addition, it is difficult to dry 

 out. When you have a smaller cob, it indicates a shorter grow- 

 ing period, and a larger percentage of corn and a shorter time for 

 drying out. This question of maturity and drying is one of the 

 greatest importance. In fact, I think the poor condition of our seed 

 corn this year is due to slow growth, and drying. From Reid's 

 Yellow Dent and Learning, we should expect 84 to 86 per cent of 

 grain. So when we take into consideration all the points here 

 noted and the values given here in regard to the excellence of corn 

 and follow up these points in our selection of seed corn, there is 

 no danger of our crop running out. 



Now, I know that the time is getting short, but I would like to 

 say a word or two in regard to the selection of corn. A good many 

 people have selected their corn for a number of years from the crib 

 after the corn was husked. Now there are two reasons that render 

 this method not the best. One of them is that the selection has 

 not been completed before the freezing weather sets in. Corn 

 that is intended for seed corn, should not meet freezing weather 

 until it is quite thoroughly dried out — not necessarily dried by 

 artificial heat, but it yhould be thoroughly dry, and then freezing 

 does not hurt it bo much, but the danger ig tll^t it it is selected 

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