216 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



are not favorable. It will be necessary to get into the plat every 

 day for a few days at tasseling time, as they do not appear all at 

 the same time, and it is not desired that they do all appear at t^-'e 

 same time as that condition would prevent the corn from filling 

 well, as all the silks do not come out at the same time, and abo the 

 weather has much to do in the complete pollination of the corn. 



The most approved way to detassel is to pull it out. It comes 

 off at the last joint very easily, but the reaching up so long is a very 

 tiresome job. I have found a good and an easy method is to take 

 a gentle horse, muzzle him, and by riding at the side of the row 

 it puts one in easy reach of the work. 



Now, as to what to detassel will have to be determined by the 

 record as shown by what the various rows have done, any row 

 lacking in vigor or showing anything not to be desired is to be 

 detasseled, as no breeding is to be done by such. It is agreed that 

 all undesirable plants should be detasseled, as that will eliminate 

 the scrub individual. There are other rows also that we will want 

 to detassel; at least half that show fine performance, as wg want 

 some seed that is not self-fertilized. There is a wide discussion 

 as to what the effect of self-fertilization may be in the corn plant. 

 It is naturally a self-breeder to a certain extent. Some of the 

 pollen fertilizes the ear on the same stalk, and to limited degree 

 will be inbred. The fact that it is naturally a self-breeder makes 

 it best is very flimsy argument, to say the least. Only a casual 

 glance at the things in which man has made improvement by 

 diverting or changing the current of nature will settle that line of 

 argument. It is the generally accepted idea that from the highest 

 quality of the detasseled rows we will get our strongest breeders, 

 those that will give us the most vigorous producers. The seed 

 from all the rows of high quality should be carefully cared for, as 

 the poorest are far better than the seed taken from the general 

 field : All the bad breeders have been removed and that cannot be 

 said of the rest of the field. Then for the ears for a breeding plat 

 next season, let us have the seed from the highest detasseled rows. 

 When the detasseling is done no further note need be taken save 

 to watch for the effects, perhaps, of the detasseling, until the time 

 comes to search for the ears for the next season, as is mentioned 

 toward the former part of this article. 



At that time we should note the time of ripening, the position 

 of the ears, and anything else that we may see that might be of 

 interest or profit. 



Now in looking forward to the harvest several things should be 



