FIFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART III. 183 



days we lift the cloth off and can see exactly what they are doing and from 

 what ears the good kernels came. We take out those that do not seem to be 

 growing and push out the ears that we took them from. It would mean 

 millions and millions to the farmers of the State if every farmer would do 

 this. I wish we could all do this another spring. 



The next thing in connection with getting stand is the planter. We have 

 forty-five and only about one-third of them would give us an even stand 

 last spring. We put them on the floor and tested them with the corn and 

 arranged them so that they would plant evenly. The butts and tips should 

 be shelled off in order to get a better stand, and each ear should be shelled 

 by itself, and when it is shelled put them together, the long with the long. 

 We have been trying to make our planters plant large and small at the same 

 time. Seed that is kept dry in the winter would seem to retain its vitality a 

 little better than that which is kept moist. Corn contained a great deal of 

 moisture this year, owing to the fact that it dried off on the outside, mak- 

 ing it appear dry. Whenever it was put in the crib the best corn was on the 

 outside of the crib, where the weather could get to it and dry it. 



I believe we should so breed our corn that it would have a type of char- 

 acter and be uniform. We should do it ourselves and do it well. We can 

 all improve our corn from our own study and examination of it. We have 

 found that an ear of corn with strong germs is the one that is the largest. 

 The little plant is supplied with food from it. Poor ears have small germs. 

 The poorer the germ the poorer the tip, and the less of the white matter the 

 better the corn. The kernels that are plump and full at the tip are the best. 

 You do not need too big a cob, as a large one is hard to cure. But, on the 

 other hand, I would not have it too small. 



The most things that we know about corn are what we don't know, but 

 it is quite a question in my mind as to whether we should breed for a big 

 kernel or a small one. If we get our kernel too big we find that there is a 

 tendency to slow maturity and it is hard to get the moisture out of it so it 

 will keep. There seems to be a limit, but we do not know what that limit 

 is The proportion of cob to corn does not amount to much. I think 1 

 should say eighty-five to eighty-six per cent. In other words fourteen to 

 fifteen per cent cob. The important thing is the number of bushels to the 

 acre. Whenever I judge corn I try to pick out that sample of corn that I 

 would like to take home with me to my farm. I think we are doing damage 

 by making our judging of corn simply a matter of science. 



