122 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



From our present knowledge we believe that ninety-six 

 ears is a safe number to use, so far as inbreeding is concerned, 

 and this is the number that we suggest, it being understood 

 that every alternate row is to be detasseled, which leaves only 

 forty-eight rows to actually select from for seed. The ninety- 

 six ears should be selected the previous season in the field, so 

 that the breeder may take into consideration the qualities of 

 the whole plant rather than simply the ear. He should select 

 those plants which are of medium height, with strong stems, 

 good brace roots, and broad healthy foilage ; and which bear 

 good ears at a proper height from the ground, covered with 

 a moderate thickness of husk. In general the most perfect 

 ears obtainable should be selected, taking into consideration 

 all points that apparently have any relation to yield or quality. 

 Time should not be spent, however, upon fancy points, for It 

 should be remembered that nature sometimes develops dififer- 

 ent peculiarities in different blood lines, which go hand in 

 hand with high yield, but which do not produce fancy or show 

 ears. 



The planting of these ninety-six selected ears in the breed- 

 ing plot is the peculiar feature of our system. The plot con- 

 sists of a number of parallel rows of corn, each separate row 

 having been planted from the kernels of one ear, so that the 

 corn produced by each row represents the offspring of one 

 single female parent. The rows being of equal length and the 

 stand approximately alike (the germinating capacity of each 

 ear having been tested), the zveights of the corn produced on 

 each row become an exact measure of the productive capacity 

 of each individual mother plant, and each ear from a row is the 

 daughter of a mother zvhich had a known productiveness. A 

 pedigree on the female side may, in this manner, be established. 

 It often happens by this method that in testing two seed ears 

 practically alike in size, weight and general appearance, one 

 yields at the rate of forty bushels per acre and the other at the 

 rate of eighty bushels per acre. We find some very good- 

 sized, nice looking ears in the forty bushel row, and we find 

 some very poor ears in the eighty bushel row. By the common 

 methods of selection the good ears from the forty bushel row 

 have an equal chance of selection for seed with those of the 

 eighty bushel row, except for the probable greater number of 

 them in the latter. All will agree, however, that there is an 



