The Bulletin. 29 



Associated Characters. — (1) Earliness, other things being equal, 

 usually tends to high percentage of ear to stover, and vice versa, 

 although this ratio is more or less modified by season, soil, fertiliza- 

 tion and breeding. (2) Varieties producing two ears per stalk are 

 generally more productive of shelled corn per acre than those bearing 

 only one ear, although it may be a large one. ( 3 ) Medium maturity, 

 other things being equal, tends to increase yields per acre of grain. 

 (4) Small kernels usually possess low vitality. (5) Kernels with 

 small germs (chits) contain a small percentage of oil or fat. (6) Va- 

 rieties with good root and leaf development are usually the most re- 

 sistant ones to drought and disease and insect ravages. 



SELECTING SEED FOE, IMPROVEMENT. 



In the improvement of corn by seed selection an endeavor should 

 be made to start with the best variety as ascertained by actual tests in 

 the field through a sufficient number of years to eliminate weather 

 conditions. It must be borne in mind that in all plant improvement 

 the same principles and practices that have been employed with such 

 striking results in the improvement of the different breeds of animals 

 must be followed. 



For corn there are three general methods of improvement : First, 

 by importation of seed from some reputable breeder or grower ; second, 

 by the careful selection of seed corn from one's own field or from a 

 neighbor's ; third, by careful selection and growing of seed corn in a 

 field isolated something like four or five hundred yards from any 

 other corn field. 



The characters that should be taken into account in the improve- 

 ment of corn by selection are: 



(1) Selection of ears from stalk bearing two or more ears, as it has 

 been demonstrated time and again that a variety that bears two 

 medium-sized ears per stalk will generally give higher yields of 

 shelled corn per acre than a variety bearing one large ear to the stalk. 



(2) The stalk should be large at the base and tapering * gradually 

 towards the tassel, for two reasons — first, because it will be better 

 enabled to withstand drought, and, second, because it will stand up 

 better in windstorms. 



(3) The ears should by all means be of a cylindrical form, with 

 both butts and tips filled out, as this is the form that gives the highest 

 percentage of yield of shelled corn per ear, other things being equal. 



(4) The best-shaped kernel is a medium wedge, as this fills out the 

 space on the cob most completely. Also, the distance between the 

 rows of grains should be small, while the number of rows should be 

 large and run parallel the full length of the cob, with little or no 

 diminution in size, either at the butts or tips. The percentage of 

 grains should be from 80 to 90 and should be held rigidly by the cob. 

 It should also possess a high (90 to 95 per cent) germinating power, 

 and great resisting power to disease and insect ravages. 



