170 THE CEREALS IN AMERICA 



varieties. It is a good ear that weighs three-fourths of a pound. 

 It takes about 100 good ears to make a bushel of shelled maize, 

 One hundred ears of early maturing dent maize will weigh about 

 fifty pounds ; of medium maturing, sixty-five pounds ; and of 

 late maturing, eighty pounds. One hundred selected ears will 

 weigh sixty, seventy-five and ninety pounds respectively. 



Usually the grains are wedge-shaped and deeper than broad. 

 A typical dent grain is five-eighths of an inch deep by three 

 eighths broad and one-sixth of an inch thick. The most com- 

 mon colors are yellow and white, although red grains or those 

 striped with red or similar colors occur in some varieties. Sports 

 of this sort are not uncommon in yellow and white varieties and 

 in some instances this character has been fixed by selection. 

 There is considerable variation in weight of grain : a range of 

 thirty-five to forty-five grams per 100 grains, or from 1,000 to 

 1,300 grains per pound, is common. 



The season ranges from ninety to 150 or even 160 days. 

 There is a wide variation in the same variety in different lati- 

 tudes and different seasons in the same latitude. In the m.aize 

 belt States early varieties usually mature from 100 to 115 days, 

 medium varieties from no to 135 days and late varieties from 

 130 to 145 days in ordinary seasons. Dent and flint types fur- 

 nish all the commercial grain of maize, as well as practically all 

 of the maize fodder and maize ensilage. Only a small fraction 

 of the total is furnished by the flint type. 



243. Description of a Good Bent Ear. — ^While variety differ- 

 ences are permissible, there are certain characteristics that are 

 more or less desirable in all varieties. It should be borne in 

 mind that while these ideal characteristics are desirable, other 

 things being equal, their lack of perfection may not prevent a 

 variety from producing high yields or having in other particulars 

 desirable qualities. Cows without horns are desirable, but this 

 does not prevent cows with horns being good milkers. The ear 

 should taper uniformly from butt to tip and should be as near 



