364 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



corn, to make it higher in protein. It is thought we can change 

 the analysis of corn; but my experience has been that when we 

 are adding protein we are losing something else, and I have de- 

 cided that I will go on and improve the corn and get the protein in 

 some other way. I have dropped that work and shall proceed by 

 selection altogether. 



The Individual Ear Test — For this test, we take a tray, 36 

 inches long and 18 inches wide, not over an inch and a half deep, 

 which we fill with sand, sawdust or dirt. We pick up ear No. 1. 

 It looks good. We take out five kernels and place them in row 

 No. 1 in the first section, and we place the ear in our rack that we 

 have built for our whole 36 ears. Then we pick up ear No. 2 and 

 go through the same process. If that ear looks good we take out 

 five kernels and place them in row No. 1 in the second sections, and 

 place the ear No. 2 next to ear No. 1 in the rack. After we have 

 the first row placed we follow the second row in the same way, and 

 by placing them carefully we are not apt to get them mixed. Then 

 we place a cloth over this. You may moisten the dirt before or 

 after you place the cloth on. I usually place the cloth on first and 

 then moisten the dirt through the cloth. Then I put a heavier 

 cloth on top of that to hold the moisture, and place the tray any 

 place where the temperature is right to sprout the corn ; and within 

 two or three days you ought to be able to determine the test. Just 

 roll the cloth back and you can see at a glance the kernels that have 

 sprouted. If in the 4th or 5th day the kernels have not sprouted, 

 you had just as well go to the rack and remove that ear, as it is no 

 good; but where the kernels have sprouted, the ears from which 

 they were taken are all right and should be saved and planted. Now, 

 we don't always get a perfect stand after we have followed that plan, 

 but it does help to draw out a great many of the ears of corn that 

 won't grow; in fact, you can pick out the ears of corn that have 

 weak germs and throw them out. But it has happened that you can 

 pick out five kernels from an ear which will sprout, but the ear will 

 not grow. My observation has been that ears are spotted. We 

 might select a kernel from one part of the ear that would grow 

 and a kernel from another part which would not grow. 



DISCUSSION. 



Q. How deep do you plow? 



Mr. Clore — We plow down pretty well — 7 or 8 inches. 



Q. Do you use a gang plow? 



Mr. C— No, we use a single riding plow. 



