136 



Missouri Agricultural Report. 



rather than from the wagon bed or from the crib. Experiments have 

 shown that this is an economic possibility. Moreover, the position of 

 the ear on the stalk is a very important thing, and by field selection 

 only those ears should be selected which come from stalks on which the 

 ear is situated low down. Ears thus selected will transmit this char- 

 acter, thus tending to lower the average height of ear, which makes 

 harvesting easier and lessens the danger of the corn blowing down. 



Some results of the Missouri Experiment Station on the character 

 of kernel as affecting the strength of germination and the resulting yield 

 of corn are of interest. Selections have been made of ears having 

 rather horny kernels as compared with those having very white, starchy 

 kernels, and also of ears having large germs as coinpared with those 

 having small germs, the strength of germination as well as the ulti- 

 mate effect on yield being determined in the various cases. 



The effect of the various types of kernels upon the strength of 

 germination was determined in boxes of sand in the greenhouses. The 

 results showed a very striking increase in vigor in favor of the medium 

 horny kernels as compared with the starchy ones, and also in favor of 

 the kernels with large germs as compared with those having small 

 germs. 



The yields resulting from the field planting of these various types 

 of kernels are given in the following table : 



EFFECT OF CHARACTER OF KERNEL ON YIELD OF CORN. 

 (Average of 6 plots of each.) 



RESULTS FROM BREEDING BLOCK. 



These results show a striking increase in yield in favor of the 

 more horny types of kernels and those with large germs. It must be 

 remembered that the ears selected were all from the same varietv of corn 



