30 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



Gilt. You ought to have an ideal ear in your minds. Out of this seed 

 sort a bushel of the best ears. Then cull out, leaving only enough to 

 plant the plat. Have them look as near alike peas in a pod as possible. 

 Go over them many times. Learn the characteristics of each ear — for 

 even if they are brothers they have each an individuality. 



Here we have an ear with 56 grains in a row and 18 rows around. 

 Multiply 56 by 18, it gives us 1,008 grains. There are about 3,500 hills 

 in an acre. Placing two grains in a hill, we take 7,000 grains to plant 

 the acre. So if all the kernels are planted and only one acre is used, it 

 will give us the trouble of getting only 7 ears. With these 7,000 grains 

 each grain should produce an ear as good as this one. This ear will 

 shell one pound, or 120 bushels to the acre, provided there is no loss in 

 germination, accidents or the greatest loss, not pure bred seed — not hav- 

 ing the power to reproduce itself. 



What an easy matter it will be to get a good start of corn if we 

 apply ourselves. If you are not fortunate enough in having the variety 

 desired, buy a bushel, paying a good long price, if necessary, and re-sort 

 to get seed for the consecration acre. As I said, plant these 7 ears 

 v.'here they can be watched. Study the tiny plant. Study it at the first 

 plowing. Study it up to ripening. Mark the desirable stalks. This 

 will take time, but you are going to make it pay. 



Consecrate one acre for good seed corn. Talk about it, plant it, 

 plow it, study it. Pick next year's seed from this. Become enthusiastic 

 on corn and next year come to Columbia and tell the Missouri Corn 

 Growers' Association how you have succeeded. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Ellis — Mr. Laughlin has suggested that the breeding plat should 

 be the richest of the farm. That raises a very important question in 

 my mind, whether we shall grow our seed corn on the richest land or 

 Vvfhether we will not get better results by growing seed corn on a poorer 

 soil, and changing it to better land. I would like to have that question 

 brought out by some of the men who have been breeding corn. 



Mr. Laughlin — The object in growing the seed corn on a rich plat 

 is to make it grow corn and take on that characteristic and it will keep 

 it up. 



Mr. Mumford — I was thinking while the discussion was in pro- 

 gress of a historical event in connection with the improvement of farm 

 crops. One of the most noted varieties of wheat, I suppose, that was 

 ever produced anywhere was called the Hallet pedigreed wheat that 

 was produced in England a good many years ago. A single kernel was 



