128 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



[Jan., 



Attention is called to the fact that the drouth in 1901 

 hindered the full development of the kernels, and this seasonal 

 influence was to produce corn with a high percentage of 

 protein ; but nevertheless the high-protein plot increased more 

 than the low-protein plot, thus showing the effect of breeding 

 even during this very abnormal year. 



In our own corn breeding work, we make yield the primary 

 consideration, for no reasonable increase in protein content 

 could make up for a deficiency in yielding power. Our 

 method is to select seed only from such detasseled rows as have 

 shown by their actual yields compared by weight, that they are 

 the best fitted for producing high yields under the conditions 

 of soil and climate in which they are grown. From such high 

 yielding rows a number of ears are selected as seed ears, — 

 say three times the number of ears that we wish to plant. 

 These ears are then analyzed and we select for planting those 

 that contain the highest per cents, of protein. 



Table 2 illustrates some of our own work. It shows the 

 variations that we have found in the protein content of some 

 of our Connecticut corns, dent, hybrid, and flint. The figures, 

 5 to 65, show the number of ears which each contained, the 

 per cent, of protein shown at the left. 



Table No. 2 



VARIATIONS IN THE PROTEIN CONTENT 



OF CORN IN 1905. 



Stadtmueller's Leaming 100 Ears Analyzed. 



5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 



