The Bulletin. 11 



etc. Each ear must so blend with every other ear as to make the entire 

 exhibit appear as a uniform whole. The ears must be as nearly as pos- 

 sible alike in length, circumference, and shape, whether cylindrical or 

 tapering. All ears must be made up of straight, uniformly spaced rows, 

 containing kernels of uniform indentation and shape and the same 

 shading of color. All kernels must be placed regularly in the rows. The 

 rows must extend in a straight line from extreme butt to extreme tip 

 without any irregular kernels between them or any kernels of irregular 

 size or shape between the kernels of good character. Of course the 

 kernels at the extreme butt and tip will differ in shape to some extent 

 from those in the center of the ear, but the change should be very 

 gradual and not so very pronounced even then. 



Figures 1 and 2 show what is meant by uniformity of the exhibit. 

 The ears in Fig. 1 show uniformity in length, circumference, arrange- 

 ment of kernels and rows, indentation, etc. Fig. 2 shows a decided lack 

 in these points. 



MATURITY AND MARKET CONDITION. 



By this term is meant soundness, ripeness, freedom from disease and 

 injury, and brightness of color: that is, the condition of the ear best 

 suited for marketing. "We usually test this by the degree of looseness of 

 the kernels on the cob. In drying out the kernels shrink, leaving them 

 more or less loose on the cob. If the com is mature this shrinkage will 

 allow the kernels to retain approximately the same plumpness they pre- 

 sented when gathered; but if immature, they will present a chaffy 

 appearance and be loosely attached to the cob. If the ear is mature at 

 harvest time it will usually remain sound, but if immature it will often 

 show a large per cent of the kernels discolored and the tip of the ear 

 containing a very large per cent of diseased kernels. Even when the 

 kernels do not show this discoloration they will often show a black 

 heart when broken off from the cob. The cob of an immature ear is 

 usually "punkey" and shows signs of fungus disease. Then again some 

 ears have become injured by the ear worms and other troubles and the 

 tips, especially, will be found to be covered with partially decayed and 

 decaying kernels. 



In examining ears for market condition and maturity, a simple 

 method is to take the ear in both hands and give it a sharp twist. If 

 the ear remains firm and solid and is free from immature and decayed 

 kernels, and the weight is good, and the cob, as it appears at the butt, is 

 sound it should score high on this point. 



TRUENESS TO TYPE. 



This is another term which is hard to define clearly. It is recognized 

 more by an intuition of the man than by any well defined characteristics 

 of the corn. One can easily tell the difference in type between Cocke 

 Prolific and the old fashioned Gourd Seed; but to tell which ears in 

 either variety best show the type characteristics of that variety is more 

 a matter of instinct on the part of the man than a matter of rules. "With 

 corn that does not belong to a clearly defined variety — and most of the 



