30S ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



increase the yield and why is it that we have so low a yield and 

 what can the corn breeder do to increase this yield. I think we 

 are all going to follow the suggestions I am about to give, there- 

 fore, we will begin with the corn we are growing this year. The 

 first thing to know is whether we have a corn suited to our soil and 

 climate and select seed corn from this variety. 



Every corn stalk has an individuality, like every animal, a some- 

 thing in which it is superior or inferior to others, all of which are 

 apparent to the studious and trained observer. The stalk may be 

 devoting its energy to the production of an enormous stalk with a 

 small ear way beyond the reach of an ordinary sized man and, there- 

 fore, an ear that will ripen later on. The stalk may be too small 

 and the ear too large and too low down ripening too early or it may 

 have too many leaves or too little foliage, etc., therefore, the seed 

 corn should be selected with reference to a stalk such as we desire 

 in which the energy has been devoted to produce the object we 

 desire to accomplish, namely, a perfect ear with a medium long 

 shank that will keep the ear in the right position. A stalk that 

 holds the ear to the right height, and will ripen medium early and 

 strong enough to withstand storms such as are usual in the vicinity 

 in which it is grown. The ears must be thoroughly ripened on the 

 stalk after which the stalk can be cut and placed in such a position 

 as to keep perfectly dry or the ears may be taken off the stalk and 

 dried. 



The Ear. 



In selecting seed corn, all the ears should be of the same type, 

 maturing about the same time to insure thorough pollination. The 

 very early or very late stalks are usually barren for want of pollina- 

 tion, and if pollinized, produces grains of different sizes and shapes 

 which makes it impossible for a planter to plant them evenly. A 

 perfect ear of corn should be full and strong in the middle portion 

 indicating a strong constitution. It should retain its size to near 

 the tip and be well-rounded and filled with kernels. The kernels 

 should lean over the cob at the butt end. The rows of kernels 

 should be straight and uniform in size merely wide enough to admit 

 air to facilitate drying. The ear should be 10-12 inchese long, 7|-9 

 inches in circumference, contain 16-24 rows of grains, shell 88 per 

 cent, corn to the ear and, if the corn is yellow, the cob must be red, 

 if white, the cob must be white. 



The Kernel. 



The shape of the kernel will vary with the variety, but in general 

 it should be wedge shaped, because this shape gives space for the 

 greatest possible amount of corn to the cob. It must be full and 



