Corn Growers' Association. 213 



soil as it will take reasonably good soil to put good vitality into the 

 corn to be raised. If the soil is the richest you have, it might 

 not produce seed that would stand adverse conditions of poor soil. 

 Also, the ground should not be too thin as that will not produce 

 vigorous seed to plant in the richer soils. It will, no doubt, be 

 best to select soil that may be the nearest an average to that in 

 which your general crop is to be planted. The ground also should 

 be as nearly alike all over as possible. If soil differing to any 

 great extent were used it would not give all the ears an equal 

 chance, and that is important as that will be the only means of a 

 true comparison, 



As to the amount of ground to be used, that will depend much 

 on the amount of seed you need for your general crop and on the 

 help you may have to do the work. From a half acre one can 

 generally get enough seed to plant at least from 80 to 100 acres, 

 and that is quite enough for our average farm. The same mistake 

 that I made in the start is the one that is common in nearly every 

 case, and that one is that we attempt too much. Do not try more 

 than a half acre to start on, and you are more likely to get satis- 

 factory results. Don't try more than one-half acre at first. 



As to the selection of seed will say, that it is now too late to 

 do that the very best way. To begin the selection before the corn 

 is fully ripe is best, as an examination and a study of the plant 

 can be made at that time, and the plant is the machine that makes 

 the ear. By getting into the field before the corn is quite ripe and 

 marking certain plants that meet the requirements it will be a 

 great advantage. An ear should not be taken for the breeding plat 

 that has not grown on a plant that has a good root system — and 

 that can be determined to a great extent by the system of brace 

 roots that appear. The corn plant cannot be any better than its 

 root system makes it. It is further desirable that a stalk have 

 strong short joints as that will give to it a better leaf system. The 

 }'oot system takes of the plant food as it is in solution in the water 

 in the soil and it is thus carried to the leaves and there combines 

 with the plant food in the air and in the leaf is where the plant 

 food of the soil and of the air is manufactured into plant tissue. It 

 is then very evident that the plant is well worthy of study to the 

 corn breeder. A well-developed plant is necessary to vigorous 

 ears. I prefer that the stalk also be of only medium height as 

 that makes it less likely to go down in winds, and grows an ear 

 lower down, which things are very desirable. The ear should be 

 in height from the elbow to the shoulder, and when ripe it indi- 



