76 



IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



sound and in good seed condition. An examination of the kernels from 

 each ear would lead to the rejection of all such and as time required to 

 remove a few kernels from each ear is very little we can not afiford.when we 

 remember the possibilities that lie in a single ear of corn, to neglect to shell 

 each ear by itself, disregard all badly damaged ears and pick out the occa- 

 sional broken or injured kernels which are sometimes present in good ears. 



Fig. 21. 



MATURITY OF KERNELS. 



Kernels 1 and 9 germinated but after bursting the outer covering the 

 young plantlet died. The ears from which these kernels were taken were 

 stored in a warm place before they were thoroughly dried out, with the 

 result that growth commenced. Nos. 2 and 3 have been injured probably 

 by the decay of silks between the rows. (See Fig. 20.) Kernels injured in 

 this way frequently break off in shelling. They should never be used for 

 seed. Nos. 10, 11 and 12 are all good illustrations of immature kernels. 

 Notice how the germs of all of them are either blistered or wrinkled. When 

 No. 10 was shelled the tip adhered to the cob leaving the germ iosufficiently 

 protected. If this kernel was planted under favorable conditions it would 

 grow, but if the planting is followed by cold, wet wether it will be far more 

 likely to rot than a kernel that had not lost the tip cap. This is an indica- 

 tion of immaturity. 



Nos. 11 and 12 show kernels which were so immature that, when shelled, 

 large pieces of cob adhered. Nos. 13 and 14 show immature kernels which 

 shrivelled when dried. Nos. 4, Sand 6 are all immature but No. 4 has 

 shrunken more than either of the others and presents a dull, dead appear- 



