THE SEED-CORN SITUATION. 7 



grown seed and Sunbiiry-grown seed were then tested at both jioints. 

 At 8nl)iii:i (lie Sabina-grown seed produced better by 47 per cent. 

 At Sunbury the Sunbiiry-grown seed prochieed better by 11 per 

 cent. Acclimatization and adai)tat,ion alone can account for these 

 differences, and in this case the acclimatization and adaptation to 

 Sunbury conditions had been brought about in five years. By 

 being grown five years at Sunbury the variety had become adapted 

 to Sunbury conditions and at the same time had lost its adaptation 

 to Sabina conditions. The same variet}^ constantly growni under 

 Sabina conditions retained its adaptation to Sabina conditions. 



To make certain of ahvays obtainiug tlie greater productiveness of 

 adapted varieties it is necessary to save sufficient seed for two or 

 three years' planting. In localities where extreme Aveather conditions 

 may nudce the corn crop an entire failure this practice is of the 

 utmost importance. It is plainly impossible to acclimate and adapt 

 varieties if all seed is destroyed occasionally, making new importa- 

 tions of seed necessary. There are occasional instances in which 

 imported seed produces better than home-grown seed. Such cases are 

 experienced especially in the Southern States, where dry summers 

 permit early-maturing northern-grown varieties to escape the sum- 

 mer drought. For this reason northern-gTowni seed is preferred in 

 some sections. A better joractice would be to select and acclimatize 

 an earlier maturing variety. It would then escape the summer 

 droughts and by becoming acclimated and adapted would loroduce 

 better than imported seed. 



RETENTION OF SUFnCIENT SEED FOR TWO OR THREE YEARS' PLANTINO. 



Even in sections where the corn crop is not likely to be an entire 

 failure it is advisable during good corn seasons to retain sufficient 

 seed for two or three years' planting. Careful tests have shown that 

 seed that grew under favorable conditions is more productive than 

 seed of exactly the same strain grown under unfavorable conditions. 

 The greatest hindrance to corn breeding in some localities is the 

 dissimilarity of seasons. The corn plant is exceedingly adaptive, 

 but occasional wet seasons prevent a strain from adapting itself to 

 droughty conditions and occasional dry seasons prevent acclimati- 

 zation and adaptation to humid conditions. If the corn is poor in 

 quality because of an unusually dry or an unusually wet season, no 

 seed should be saved and that grown during a more normal season 

 should be jil anted. 



A mistaken idea prevails regarding the " running out " of corn 

 because it has been grown too long in a locality. A strain of corn 

 may run out, but the cause is with the farnier and is not because the 

 com has been gi-own too long in the same locality. The longer a 

 corn is grown in the same locality (he better adapted it becomes to the 



[Cir. 95] 



