1907.] DISCUSSION. 135 



Secretary Brown. At this point in the proceedings, and 

 before this very interesting discussion is completed, let me 

 call your attention, ladies and gentlemen, to the fact that you 

 are at liberty, and it is very greatly desired that the audience 

 should ask questions freely. I think it is a great credit to the 

 state of Connecticut that these investigations have been carried 

 on, and if there is any way that any further information can be 

 gained from Mr. East that will be of advantage to you or to the 

 farmers of the state it should certainly be brought out. 



Mr. Platts. I would like to ask, Mr. Chairman, what 

 advice the Professor Avould give to a farmer as to how he 

 should select the best corn. Is there anything in the form 

 of the ears by which he can tell ? What advice would you give 

 on that? 



Mr. East. If I had an ear of corn I could illustrate that 

 in just a moment. Perhaps I can illustrate it with this. I 

 do not know how much you can see of it from your seats, but 

 this white floury portion in the tip of the kernel you will 

 notice comes off very easily, and the white floury portion 

 that is reached next to the germ at the end of the corn contains 

 the least amount of protein, while the hard portion which 

 surrounds the germ, and which is more or less translucent, 

 contains a larger amount of protein. Therefore, in selecting 

 dent corn, if you take five or six kernels from each ear, and 

 cut them across in that manner, and reject all the kernel which 

 shows a large amount of starch surrounding the germ at both 

 the tip and cap, you will find that the difference is from a half 

 to as high as two and one-half per cent. I should be glad to 

 make an agreement in behalf of the Connecticut Experiment 

 Station with any farmer who wishes to run an experimental 

 breeding plot. I think the experience to be gained in that way 

 would be very interesting to some of you. If you will make 

 that selection by cutting the kernels across in the manner I 

 have indicated, and then send three kernels, from each ear of 

 your selection, we will analyze it chemically and the actual 

 per cent, which they contain will be reported to you. — 



