62 



[OWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Fig. 8. 



POOR EARS. 



No. 1 is a fairly well shaped ear, has been fertilized and will give a good 

 proportion of corn to cob. Its utter lack in uniformity of kernels, however, 

 makes it a very undesirable ear for seed. Note the irregularity of the rows, 

 the variation in the size, shape and dent of kernels. Such an ear should 

 never be used for seed. 



No. 2 was an early ear but some of its silks were fertilized by pollen from 

 a late variety. Those fertilized by the early pollen produced well matured 

 kernels; those fertilized by the late pollen failed to ripen. A close study of 

 these kernels shows that some of them have lost the entire crown while others 

 have simply burst the skin and exposed the starchy portion. These 

 damaged kernels, being later than the others, were badly crowded and not 

 being so far advanced as their neighbors were forced to grow too long in 



