BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTIIY. 429 



The object has been to so improve methods of field investigation that 

 scientifically accurate and triist^vorthy results might be obtained. 

 Results already show the fallacy of the prevailing opinion that 

 methods of corn culture are capable of little improvement. They also 

 show that various changes in methods to suit existing conditions may 

 be made profitable. 



The teamwork of the past year has been along general lines. Prob- 

 lems of a local nature have been avoided, as belonging more properly 

 to local experimenters. The results show the existence of fundamen- 

 tal requirements that have been little studied, the supplying of which 

 will result in more profitable production. It is nevertheless neces- 

 sary to consider local conditions in order to properly supply these 

 requirements. 



Cooperative work with breeders' associations. — Field work con- 

 ducted in cooperation with various associations of corn breeders and 

 corn improvers has made it possible to obtain results under a much 

 greater range of environmental conditions than if such organizations 

 had not borne the expenses. The amount of work that it has been 

 possible to conduct in cooperation with these organizations is suffi- 

 cient to indicate that vast benefits to corn producers can be secured at 

 little expense by supplying the supervision requested by such asso- 

 ciations. The time is ripe for directing into practical and well- 

 tested lines the efforts of the large number of corn improvers that 

 have become tired of exhibition work. 



HoME-GRow^N SEED CORN. — The demonstration of the profits of 

 proper selection and preservation of seed corn the past spring empha- 

 sizes the possibilities and wide application of such work. Directions 

 for practically applying such features as have passed beyond the 

 stage of investigation and are worthy of general application have 

 been published. 



OUTLINE OF WORK NOW IN PROGRESS. 



Among the important problems that are being investigated simul- 

 taneously in the different sections of the United States may be men- 

 tioned: (1) Practical methods of breeding for increased productive- 

 ness; (2) influence of heredity and cross breeding upon productive- 

 ness; (3) determination of varieties that cross advantageously; (4) 

 influ«nce of seed on jiroductiveness and the determination of methods 

 of seed preservation suited to local conditions; (5) means of planting 

 and cultivating and the choice of implements; (6) practical methods 

 of grading seed corn in order to avoid planting kernels of low pro- 

 ductivity ; (7) breeding of varieties of better quality for human food; 

 (8) methods of harvesting and storing so as to retain full food value 

 and liealthfulness. 



Tlie necessity for the concentration of force and funds during the 

 present year on some of the?e important lines of investigation in 

 order to obtain reliable results required the discontinuance of work in 

 a number of localities. 



Work in the Gulf States. — Long-nontinued drouglils m 1911 

 were very disastrous to the experimental work in Texas. Complete 

 failures resulted at many i)oints. and in some instances no experi- 

 mental data could be obtained. In tests of surface and furrow plant- 



