IMPROVEMENT OF CORN BY BREEDING 



By C. P. Hartley, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 



Perhaps in no other way can plant breeders be of so much benefit to tlie 

 country as by creating reliable sources from which farmers can procure pure 

 and superior seed corn of varieties adapted to the soil and climatic conditions 

 of various sections. Because of the difficulty of preventing admixtures and also 

 because so small a quantity of seed is required per acre, growers on small farms 

 will probably always find it to their advantage to annually buy their seed 

 corn, if they have reliable sources from which to obtain pedigree seed of sorts 

 adapted to their respective localities. In a few sections of the United States 

 strains of corn have been originated and acclimated, and from these small quan- 

 tities of seed adapted to those sections can now be obtained; but the greater 

 part of the corn-producing area of this country is without sources from which 

 to obtain seed corn of good qiiality. Without other additional expense or work, 

 the substitution of good pure seed corn for that now planted tliroughout the 

 country would increase our corn production by millions of bushels. 



The time has not yet come when general advice can be given to growers 

 regarding the purchase of their seed corn because the sources of supply are 

 not yet numerous enough, nor is the quality of seed that can be purchased as 

 good as it should be. Furthermore, there are too many unscrupulous dealers 

 who, by misrepresentation and exaggerated statements, are ever ready to sell 

 at high prices corn that has been bought at market price and that possesses 

 none of the requirements of good seed corn. 



It is, however, in order to advise all those who are capably situated to 

 begin at once, and by careful breeding, to fix a pure type of corn, suited to 

 the soil and climatic conditions of their sections. This would by no means 

 include all corn growers, for the farms of many are so small that they can- 

 not give a com the necessary isolation, and if their farms be of average size, 

 proper crop rotation will bring their cornfields too close to those of a neigh- 

 bor who grows poor corn. There are but few in each State who have ideal 

 conditions under which to breed a pure corn, and it therefore behooves plant 

 breeders to produce stock seed of pure strains from which the growers in an}' 

 corn section of the country can buy first class seed adapted to their farms. 



The corn crop of the United States represents more money value than 

 that of any two other crops, and this is the leading corn country of the 

 world ; yet no intelligent grower is willing to say that no improvements in 

 corn are needed. Let us consider (i) what improvements are needed; (2) 

 whether their attainment is possible, and (3) the best means of accomplish- 

 ing them. 



