212 



(3) The first silks which protrude through the luislvs are from the lower ends 

 of the ears and che silks above them follow gradually until all are exposed. 



(4) Usually tweuty-four hours elapse before silks are in a receptive condition, 

 after their first ap])earance. 



(5) Generally the silks at the tops of ears are from two to five days later in 

 appearing through the husks than the lowest ; but frequently the upper silks are 

 not more than twenty-four hours later in appearing than the lowest, and some- 

 times they are ten days later. 



(6) When the lowest silks appear four or five days before tJiose at the upper 

 ends of ears, the lower grains of corn will be old enough and sufficiently strong 

 to rob the younger and weaker upper grains, and cause them to die from starva- 

 tion. Therefore, when there are such differences, the ears v, ill not be properly 

 filled at their upper ends ; but when the difference amounts to only twenty-four 

 hours or less, the ears will be as fully developed at their upper ends as at their 

 lower ones. 



(7) When well grown, the best corn for Iowa will not exceed 9i feet in height, 

 its ears will be 3i feet from the groimd, and each of its stalks will have thirteen 

 blades. 



P'ifteen varieties of dent, two of flint, and tw.elve of sweet corn Avere 

 grown at the Station in 1889. Learning and Edmnndson are consid- 

 ered " the most valnable of all the kinds we have tested for Iowa," the 

 latter being esi^ecially adapted to the northern part of the State. 

 King of the Earlies is also favorably regarded. The characteristics 

 of ears of different varieties are illustrated in the plates accompany- 

 ing this article. In the author's opinion, the variety which is wanted 

 for central Iowa nnist complete a season's growth in one hundred and 

 fifteen days of ordinary summer weather. In addition to the charac- 

 teristics mentioned '* it should have well-developed blades on the 

 points of its husks, and long ears, having thirty ro-ws of deep grains 

 on each ear, and the ears should be equally large at lioth ends and 

 show no missing trains." "" It is not safe to plant corn in Xorthern 

 Iowa which will not ripen by the 10th of Septemltei', and for Cen- 

 tral Iowa it should not l)e more than five days later." 



Millets, buckwheats, and the neav prolific t.'^ee beax, R. P. 

 Speer (pp. 2Gl-'2():i)- — This contains notes on varieties of millet and 

 Ijuckwheat and on the new ))rolific tree l)ean. The need of care in the 

 selection of seeil is emphasized. The new i^rolific tree bean has been 

 found to be jjreferable to the common navy bean during the two years 

 in which coin])arative tests have been made at this Station. 



Sugar experiments, R. P. Speer (pp. -26-1-269). — An account of an 

 inconclusive experiment to test the Jenning's process of making sugar 

 from sorghmn. The failure to make sugar in this case is stated to be 

 " because we were not ready for work when the sorghum was ripe, and 

 because the greater part of the cane which we Avorked contained only 

 from 6 to 10 per cent of sucrose." '" Our experience this year proved 

 that there is much to be learned in the sorghum fields as Avell as the 

 factories." The author is, hoAveA'^er, confident that the making of 

 sugar from sorghum by the diffusion process Avill yet become a lead- 



