PART III 



THE SEED 



CHAPTER IX 

 SELECTING THE BEST EARS FOR SEED 



In selecting the best ears of corn, whether for display or 

 general field planting, the object should be to choose those 

 ears which will yield the greatest number of bushels of sound 

 corn per acre. Of course, if one is selecting a ten-ear sample 

 to display at some corn show or fair, one can afford to pay 

 more attention to the fancy points of each individual ear 

 than would be the case in selecting several bushels for general 

 planting. Remember that depth of kernel, vitality, and ma- 

 turity count for more in yield than do fancy tips and butts. 

 A sample containing a few ears having shallow kernels and 

 showing lack of maturity will never take a ribbon in a con- 

 test where there is much competition, no matter how near per- 

 fect the other qualities may be. 



FIELD SELECTION 



If seed corn is desired for a breeding or seed plot, it 

 is a good plan to select it from the field after the first or 

 second frost. In this way, the corn plant, as well as the ear, 

 can be studied; but do not be in too much of a hurry. The 

 natural place for corn to ripen is in the field and ears 

 selected before they are properly ripened will have a ten- 

 dency to become chaffy after they are dried. An ear that 

 has matured well in the field will show a strong germ and will 



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