160 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



formed apical and basal kernels being discarded. This year the 

 isolated test plat should be planted as in 1909, of fifty rows, twenty- 

 five hills long; rows 1 and 26 being planted from ear 1 in bag 1, 

 rows 2 and 27 with seed from ear 2 in bag 2, and so on. The por- 

 tion of the seed of each of the twenty-five ears not planted should ba 

 retained as in 1909, for planting seed plat in 1912. 



When this plat matures in the fall, the product of the prog- 

 eny from each ear being in two rows in each case, should be 

 weighed up and the separate progenies carefully judged, the eight 

 or ten best being determined as in 1909. After which a quantity 

 of the best ears are selected to plant the general crop in 1912. 



The general crop in this year, 1911, should be planted with 

 the second select seed taken from the isolated plat of 1910. 



This method of selection it will be observed is a two-year 

 method, which provides for selecting and testing the yield of the 

 best twenty-five ears the first season, and then the next year grow- 

 ing the select seed, as determined by this test, in an isolated plat 

 together so that known good producers will be crossed with known 

 good producers. It provides each year for taking seed corn for 

 the general crop from an isolated plat, where only highly select 

 ears have been planted. 



The only element contained in this method which is not also 

 contained in the first method suggested is the growing of a por- 

 tion of the seed of the select ears one year in numbered rows 

 and testing their transmitting power, so that when the isolated 

 patch the second year is planted it will be with seed of ears of 

 tested producing power. This second method is rather more com- 

 plex than the first method, but it is still simple and is doubtless 

 preferable where growers will take the time to carry it out. Either 

 of these two methods, however, will certainly give desirable re- 

 sults and may be unhesitatingly recommended, the speaker be- 

 lieves, for the general use of corn growers. 



MAINTAINING THE FERTILITY OF MISSOURI SOILS. 



(By M. F. Miller, Professor of Agronomy, Missouri Agricultural College.) 



The soil is the most valuable asset of the State of Missouri. 

 Upon the fertility of the soil depends the prosperity of the people. 

 A fertile soil insures a prosperous country while an impoverished 

 soil means abandoned farms and an increase in the mortgages of 



