148 KING CORN 
“The length of ear should be not less than 8% inches. 
“White cob in yellow corn or red cob in white corn 
disqualifies. 
“Twelve or more foreign kernels disqualifies. 
“The kernel should be twice as long as it is broad and 
of medium size. The edges should be nearly straight, 
so as to leave only a slight crease between rows on out- 
side of ear. 
“There should be no space between the tips of the 
kernels, either on sides or edges. 
“ Kernel indentation should be regular and fairly deep, 
but not pinched, which would make crown chaffy. The 
kernels should be uniform in shape and size. 
“The ear should be firm and sound. The germ should 
be well developed, indicating strong vitality.” 
Seed corn should never be exposed to freezing 
weather unless it be thoroughly dry, and should be put 
in a dry place, where ventilation is perfect. 
The time and method of gathering seed corn, as given 
by the Agricultural Experiment Station of Purdue Uni- 
versity, is so practical and good that we quote them in 
full: 
“To get the best seed corn it should be selected in the 
field after it has matured and while the characters of 
the parent stalk can be observed. This can be done to 
the best advantage by going through the field after the 
corn is mature and before the general harvest begins 
and picking ears of good size and quality from the stalks 
that are strong and vigorous looking, but not coarse. 
There should be a large leaf development. The leaf is 
the laboratory of the plant where the food it gathers is 
