130 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



These ears were fairly uniform in shape and size and 

 other physical characteristics, and well illustrate the fallacy of 

 trying to improve corn with any degree of rapidity by selecting 

 from the crib by physical characteristics. 



The yield is not high owing to the poor land upon which 

 they were grown; but a range of from eleven to forty-eight 

 bushels of shelled corn to the acre, as producing powers of 

 ears practically side by side and with a nearly uniform stand, 

 is very striking. (See table on opposite page.) 



This description of corn breeding methods will. I think, 

 give some idea of the general methods of all plant breeding. 

 Numerous other experiments have shown conclusively that 

 with correct details of methods, and by perseverance in them, 

 practically any change within reason can be effected in plant 

 forms, within a reasonably short length of time. The laws 

 upon which all this depends may be summed up in two state- 

 ments which at first glance seem rather paradoxical. 



( 1 ) Variation, which causes the production among plants, 

 along with many average plants, of a few more nearly like 

 those sought, and a few more nearly opposite. 



(2) Heredity, which enables us to produce from a few 

 choice plants, a great many which do not return to mediocrity 

 but resemble their aristocratic parents. 



DISCUSSION. 



The President. Gentlemen, you have listened to this ex- 

 ceedingly interesting paper. It is now open for discussion, 

 and I am sure its value should bring out a very full discussion 

 of the points involved. 



Secretary Brown. I would like to ask the speaker if those 

 rows which he just referred to were consecutive rows in the 

 same field. 



Mr. East. Yes ; they are side by side. I could have 

 picked out rows that showed a greater difference than these, 

 but it was not my purpose to show the greatest difference. 



The President. Do you think that it is conclusive that 

 the feeding value of the flint is as much greater than that of 



