438 NEW JERSEY AGEICULTUEAL COLLEGE 



SWEET CORN UPON THE HOME GROUNDS. 



Space upon the two acres in the Experiment Area did not permit 

 of more than ten blocks of sweet corn, and with these early and late 

 sorts needed to be so adjusted that as wide an interval as possible 

 might be between any that bloomed at the same time. The first to be 

 planted w^ere the two breeding blocks, the one of "Malakhov" upon 

 "Premo" and the other "Malalvhov" upon "Crosby." The "Malakhov" 

 has shown itself, in our climate, to be a very early sort of superior 

 quality, but too small to be of much market value, and attempts have 

 been made to increase its productiveness by uniting it with other sorts 

 of recognized merit in productiveness. The "Malakhov," with us, 

 carried ears ready for cooking by the 10th of July, while the "Premo," 

 planted in alternate rows with it, was five days later. There is a much 

 greater difference in the time of maturing the grain. A second plant- 

 ing with seed of this season's growing was made of the "Malakhov" 

 upon August 1st, at which time the "Premo" was scarcely out of the 

 milk. This second crop gave good roasting ears. 



It may be said that the difference in time of blooming did not 

 materially affect the securing of the cross because all of the earlier 

 ears of the "Premo" — the ones most desired — were in season for the 

 pollen of the largest stalks of the "Malakhov." 



To anyone wishing to try his hand in breeding corn, it may be 

 written that the work of breeding one sort upon another is very 

 simple, provided that the blooming period is common to both and the 

 tassels are all removed from the stalks of the female parent of the 

 desired cross. This last requires attention at least once a day, and 

 the tassels may be pulled when they are just emerging from the coil 

 of leaves by grasping the young stalk well down with thumb and finger 

 and giving a twist as the tassel is lifted. These tassels should be 

 removed from the field, and it is a satisfactory practice all around to 

 turn them over to a pet horse or cow for their .enjoyment and digestion. 



The bane of the breeder of corn, when the alternate-row and detas- 

 seling method is practiced, is the "sucker." It comes like a thief in 

 the night, and before the tyro is aware its pollen has l^een spread by 

 the morning breezes and done its work beyond repair. There is no safe 

 rule with "suckers" save that of intolerance. They must be removed 

 from the hills while they are still small, during any of the early hoeings 

 of tlie breeding l^loek. and from all the hills, whether of the pro- 



