EIGHTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK-PART X. 651 



chief among which is the continual increase in the price of our best corn 

 lands, bringing with it higher rentals and taxes, causing the corn grower 

 and breeder alike to exert all their energy and skill to meet the new 

 conditions. 



The breeder, so far as he himself is concerned, will soon adapt himself 

 to the change, but the average farmer must change his methods or else he 

 will be compelled to give up corn growing to some other fellow who can, 

 by his skill and good management, make the land pay a profit. It should 

 be the purpose of every breeder to try to reach all those farmers in his 

 community who are raising the low yields of corn. Some, of course, will 

 not thank him for advice, but most of them will be ready and willing to 

 grasp any new ideas that will help them in increasing the value of their 

 crops. He should demonstrate by actual practice the value of intelligent 

 methods and at harvest time show results that will convince the most 

 skeptical. 



To accomplish this end a breeding plot should be operated by the 

 breeder and at harvest time a picnic planned in order to get a crowd of 

 farmers together to see the results. In this plot should be planted sev- 

 eral ears in separate rows. One of the highest yielding varieties should 

 be used. The ears should all have been strong in vitality as shown by 

 the germination test and should be uniform in appearance. The yields 

 can then be noted and the need of careful selection of seed made apparent. 

 Seed from the highest yielding rows should be planted in the general 

 field the following year, while the best ears of the same rows should be 

 kept for the breeding plot. If a part of the parent ears have been kept 

 they will be of great help in comparing results. In this way the move 

 toward better methods can be started and in a few years great good will 

 be accomplished. 



After the corn is harvested and the results recorded the seed should be 

 hung up under an open shed to dry. This should be done in the presence 

 of the visitors and at the same time they should be instructed that, after a 

 month's drying naturally, the corn should be stored in a dry place where 

 it would be safe from the ravages of mice and rats. Impress on their 

 minds that it should be the purpose of every corn grower to hang up more 

 seed than is necessary to plant his crop. This method gives a chance to 

 eliminate those ears that are undesirable, after a closer inspection has 

 been made as to the depth and shape of the kernel or as to its germinat- 

 ing power. 



A germination box should be ready for opening on this day so that a 

 study of the method of testing each ear separately could be made. Most 

 any average farmer could readily see that by numbering the ears to 

 correspond with the squares in the box would be all that is necessary in 

 obtaining the germinating power of each and every ear tested. Make 

 plain to them that kernels from all sides of the ear should be tested and 

 explain that a large box is not best for use in this work as the center 

 of the box would not get enough air for strong, vigorous germination. 

 A half hour's sfiidy of a box opened for inspection in this way would 

 suffice to convince most any one of the need for testing his seed corn. 



Another thing that the breeder should be instrumental in bringing 

 about is a corn show at the nearest village. He can get the merchants. 



