140 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



ended July 31, and the period of silking commenced July 6 and ended August 12, 

 the number of days varying from 9 to 24. The benefits of detasseling did not 

 pay for the labor. While varieties from the Middle West will outyield home- 

 grown strains under proper soil conditions, they will not do so well on the 

 comparatively thin lands of the State as the native varieties. 



In 190G a variation in yield per acre of more than 9 bu. between the best and 

 poorest strains of Hickory King and nearly 18 bu. between similar strains of 

 Virginia Ensilage was observed. A sample of Leaming corn from IlHnois 

 yielded 70.34 bu. and a Virginia sample 59.81 bu. per acre. Ear No. 14 from the 

 breeding plat made a yield of 59.82 bu., Ear No. 35, G6.29 bu., and Ear No. 37, 

 G7.84 bu. per acre. These results are pointed out to show the hniwrtauce of 

 securing the right strain. 



It was found that corn developed on thin land will not yield well when first 

 placed on rich ground. Virginia Leaming on land where cowpeas were plowed 

 under yielded 59.81 bu., as compared with 70.34 bu. for a thoroughl)red sample 

 from Illinois. Ear No. 37, a strain improved at the station, made a yield of 

 64.34 bu. These results indicate that corn from the West should be put on rich 

 land and the native corn bred up by crossing to produce corresponding yields 

 under favorable conditions. 



The application of fertilizers where cowpeas and barley or cowpeas alone 

 were turned under was not profitable as a rule. The most profitable fertilizer 

 application when green manure was also used was acid phosphate at the rate 

 of 150 to 300 lbs. per acre and muriate of potash at the rate of 50 lbs. Green 

 manuring with leguminous crops was highly beneficial, but heavy applications 

 of fertilizers seemed advisable where vegetable matter was lacking in the soil. 

 Where wheat stubble was plowed under in the fall 15 tons of barnyard manure 

 gave an increase per acre of 27.91 bu. over no fertilizer, at a cost of 21 cts. per 

 bu., 300 lbs. of cotton-seed meal an increase of 31.93 bu. at a cost of 14 cts., acid 

 phosphate at the rate of 150 or 300 lbs. an increase of 9.16 and 18.33 bu., respec- 

 tively, at a cost of 10 cts., Thomas slag at the same rates, of 10.54 and 14.99 bu. 

 at a cost of 13 and 18 cts., respectively, floats at the rate of 300 lbs., of 5.59 bu. at 

 a cost of 18 cts., muriate of potash, of 10.75 bu. at a cost of G cts., and a complete 

 fertilizer at the rate of 100 lbs. nitrate of soda, 300 lbs. of acid phosphate, and 

 50 lbs. of muriate of potash made an increase of 10.30 bu. at a cost of 33 cts. 

 per bu. 



The necessity and possibility of improving corn is shown by the fact that the 

 yield from 40 samples tested varied from 28.14 to 57.20 bu. per acre in 1905, 

 and from 34.79 to 81.69 bu. in 1906. The effect of cross-pollinating native varie- 

 ties with western strains is shown in Ear No. 23, which yielded 47.73 bu. in 

 1905 ajid 79.40 bu. in 1906, and in Ear No. 35, which yielded 54.94 bu. in 1905 

 and 81.09 bu. in 1900. The effect of cross-pollination was further shown by the 

 fact that the lowest yield from Illinois seed in 1905 was 20 bu. and the highest 

 53 bu., while in irM)0 the lowest was 42 bu. and the highest 08 bu. In 1905 the 

 lowest yield of the Virginia sample was 39 bu. and the highest yield 57 bu., 

 while in 1900 the corresponding yields were 52 and 81 bu. A Virginhi sample 

 of Boone County White after cowpeas plowed under made 84.53 bu., after 15 

 tons of barnyard manure 73.21 bu., and after timothy and clover sod 79.46 bu., 

 while the Illinois sample yielded 58.92 bu. after cowpeas, 76 bu. after manure, 

 and 67.86 bu. after timothy and clover sod. The fact that the Virginia seed 

 germinated more vigorously and the plants grew better than the other strain is 

 taken as pointing out the relation of acclimatization to yield. 



Large ears selected from different samples of known history gave in every 

 instance a more vigorous germination and higher yield than small ears simi- 

 larly selected. In some instances the difference in yield amounted to nearly 11 



