Plant-Breeding for Farmers. 



147 



tion but it is not the intention of the writer to urge this as a desirable 

 Hne of breeding work for the ordinary farmer to undertake at the pres- 

 ent time. In general, however, a breeder should understand that those 

 ears on which the kernels by cutting show a considerable portion of 

 hard, horny or hyaline matter, are rich in nitrogen. The kernels on 

 some ears have a large quantity of rather soft, opaque, white matter 

 and those are rich in 

 starch but poor in ni- 

 trogen. As ears with 

 higher nitrogen con- 

 tent are what we de- 

 sire, ears with a large 

 proportion of white 

 starchy matter should 

 not be used in propa- 

 gation. 



With reference to 

 the number of ears 

 per stalk which will 

 give the best results, 

 no very definite state- 

 ments can be made. 

 One good ear per stalk 

 would give us high 

 yields, however, and 

 the writer is strongly 

 inclined to the opin- 

 ion that with dent 

 varieties in this rather 

 northern region a 

 single ear to the stalk 

 will prove in general 

 the most satisfactory. 



If the breeder selects large ears, in general he will be breeding 

 toward a one ear per stalk type as the ears on one eared stalks will 

 naturally be the largest. The writer believes that growers in general 

 know a good stalk and a good ear of corn but in determining the yield of 

 shelled corn per ear it will be bstter ordinarily to weigh the product as 

 it is well in all cases to use exact methods where possible rather than trust 

 to judgment. 



Choosing tlic zvricty with z^'hich to begin. 



The choice of the varietv or kind of corn with which to begin 

 the breeding work is an impjrtani part of the process. What has 



Fig. 137. — Poor tify and good tit', Pride of 

 North corn. 



