96 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



Ur, if the breeding plot can be well isolated from all other corn fields 

 £ind still occupy good soil, this also makes a very suitable location for it. 

 The very best ears of seed corn are planted in the center rows of 

 the breeding plot, the remainder of the ears being planted in approxi- 

 mately uniform gradation to either side, so that the least desirable ears 

 among the 40 are planted in the outside rows ; and in the final selection 

 of the best field rows from which the next year's seed ears are to be 

 taken, some preference is given to the rows near the center of the plot. 



While we are not yet ready to make absolute statements regarding 

 the matter, nevertheless, from the data which we have secured, and are 

 securing upon the subject, we now recommend that every alternate row 

 of corn in the breeding plot be completely detasseled before the pollen 

 matures, and that all of the seed corn to be taken from the plot be selected 

 from these 20 detasseled rows. This method absolutely prohibits self- 

 pollination or close-pollination of the future seed. By self-pollination 

 is meant the transfer of pollen from the male flower of a given plant to 

 the fem.ale flower of the same plant ; and by close-pollination is meant 

 the transfer of pollen from the male fiower of one plant to the female 

 flower of another plant in the same row, both of which grew from kernels 

 from the same seed ear. 



The transfer of pollen from one plant to another plant which grew 

 from kernels from a different seed ear, we term cross-pollination. We 

 have been for several years accumulating data which show that artificial 

 self-pollination is very injurious to the vitality and vigor of the seed 

 produced, and we have also secured data pointing toward an injurious 

 effect of close-pollination even by natural methods, so that we feel jus- 

 tified in recommending, at least tentatively, the use of cross-pollination 

 in seed corn breeding. 



It is also recommended that in the 20 rows of corn which are not 

 detasseled no plants which appear imperfect, dwarfed, immature, barren, 

 or otherwise undesirable, should be allowed to mature pollen. Detassel- 

 ing is accomplished by going over the rows two or three times and 

 carefully pulling out the tassels as they appear. 



Occasionally an entire row is detasseled because of the general in- 

 feriority of the row as a whole. 



FIELD SELECTIONS BASED ON PERFORMANCE RECORDS. 



As the corn crop approaches maturity we are then ready for the 

 first time to begin at the real beginning in the selection of seed com ; 

 that is, with the whole corn crop and the whole corn plant, as it stands 

 in the field. 



