CORN growers' association, 67 



were used as dams. This is in 1906. Plant your five ears that were 

 used as dams in 1905, and propagate for more seed. From ear No. 50 of 

 1904, referred to before, plant as large plots as you have good breeding 

 ears out of the small plot of 1905. Now you are crossing here. Guard 

 against self-fertilization. In-breeding to the extent of second cousins 

 is not disastrous ; this has been demontrated. But detasseling your 

 even rows in these blocks, or if you have not time to detassel all the 

 even rows in that 20 acres, detassel some in each plot, enough so that 

 you can select seed for your general fields. Here again you must keep 

 track of the amount you plant from one strain of corn. This is now a 

 strain of corn, bred from ear No. 50. It has been bred for three years. 

 Save seed from that, if it proves to be the best yielder in the block. 

 Select it from detasseled rows. Go through it the last of September or 

 the first of October and select considerable of the seed from the stand- 

 ing stalks and hang it up in the top of the seedhouse, where it will get 

 good ventilation and dry out eafly; and it will be all right there if the 

 weather does not get to 28 or 30 degrees below zero. It may absorb 

 some moisture previous to the cold, and if so, it will have damaged 

 kernels. Here again apply the old test ; the second time we must prove 

 our dam; we must prove that she is champion in all respects. Then 

 again, if you can get enough seed in one strain to plant all the rest of 

 your farm, so much the better. If not, then select from two or even 

 four of your plots. Now in your small breeding block in 1905, in 

 mating these ears, you have to identify the power of production in these 

 strains ; then you have to control the infiuence exerted on the progeny ; 

 you have to control the influence in both parents, in both the sire and 

 dam. In 1905 the sire has proved himself to be a champion ear; but 

 there are individual differences in these odd rows, and they may vary 

 greatly. There is nothing in nature that varies like corn, and if it were 

 not for that variation, corn breeding would be impossible, because it is 

 on account of that variation that we have the great opportunity for 

 selection. These individual plants used as sires vary up and down, and 

 we take the ones that vary up if we can. By up I mean they produce 

 better characteristics. There will be variations in these even rows, and 

 you cannot tell whether this ear produced on an odd row of corn that 

 looks to you to be the best of the block— you cannot tell whether she has 

 been fertilized from a poor individual or a good one; you don't know 

 whether the influence is for good or bad; so you must resort to the 

 most technical practice in corn breeding. This is the real work of the 

 corn breeder. He must control the influence of the sire and the dam 

 and he must be able to identify that influence. Now, he must hand- 



