MISCELLANEOUS. 215 
seling, while in 1592 they were favorable.* As 
based on this experience the Kansas investi- 
gators state that in seasons favorable to the 
production of much pollen, when the pollena- 
tion can take place under normal conditions 
(as to rainfall and temperature) it is advanta- 
geous to remove a portion of the tassels, but 
* * * where the contrary conditions prevail 
the practice results in diminishing the crop.” 
No doubt the practice will have but few fol- 
lowers. In numerous experiments the opera- 
tion has been thought to be a direct injury to 
the plant. Further, the operation of detassel- 
ing involves extra cost of crop, while the re- 
turns where an increase has occurred in most 
cases were not remarkable. 
In case the corn-grower wishes to experi- 
ment in this work the following suggestion by 
Watson of the Cornell University station may 
be of service:; “From these three experiments 
made at this station in detasseling corn it has 
been observed that it is of the utmost impor- 
tance to have the tassel removed at the earliest 
time possible, certainly before they have be- 
come expanded, and still better if enclosed 
within the folds of the leaf.” The operation of 
* Kansas experiment station. Bulletin 45, December, 1893, 
pp. 132-188. 
7 Cornell University agricultural experiment station, Bul- 
letin No. 49, December, 1892, 
