Corn Grotvers' Association. 



145 



BREEDING FOR ERECT AND DECLINING EARS. 



Among the very noticeable variable characters to be seen in 

 any field of mature corn is the manner in which the ear is borne 

 with reference to the angle which it makes with the stalk. A 

 few minutes observation will discover all degrees of declination 

 of ears, varying from those which stand almost perfectly upright 

 to those that hang straight downward. 



It has been found by experiments covering five generations of 

 breeding that the angle of declination of the ear is also a character 



Figure 14. — The average angle of derli- 

 nation in the erect-ear strain in the 

 fifth generation is 46 degrees. 

 A— 10 



Figure 15. — The average angle of decli- 

 nation in the declining-ear strain in 

 the fifth generation is 88 J degrees. 



