106 PRACTICAL CORN CULTURE 



After the description of the ears has been recorded, they 

 are shelled separately and the kernels of each placed in small 

 paper sacks. These sacks are tagged from one to one hundred 

 and are then placed in a grain sack and hung away from the 

 mice until time to plant in the spring. The best time and 

 place for this work is in the winter before the kitchen fire. 



In order to prevent foreign pollenization the breeding plot 

 should be situated in a large field of the same variety. A 

 very convenient size of breeding plot is forty rods long and 

 one hundred rows wide (about twenty rods). Assuming that 

 the breeding plot is to be located in a forty-acre field, the 

 first thing is to stake off six or seven acres that contain no 

 ponds, and where the soil is of uniform richness. If the 

 ground of the whole field is prepared as corn ground should 

 be prepared, it is not necessary to give the breeding plot any 

 extra preparation. Planting should be done in the regular 

 way until the breeding plot is reached. 



Before starting on the first row of the breeding plot, the 

 corn is all removed from the planter boxes and heavy paper 

 cones are inserted, if an edge drop planter is used. This is 

 to keep the corn from shifting to the center of the box. 

 The corn in sacks No. 1 and No. 2 is placed in each planter 

 box. If planted three grains to the hill, it will easily plant 

 the 40 rods, unless the ears were exceptionally small. 



A stake should be driven at the end of the plot. As 

 soon as the driver is even with this stake, the regular field 

 corn is placed in the planter box. This corn is planted to 

 the end of the field and back to the stake. "When opposite 

 the stake on the return, the driver stops and removes all 

 the field corn in the planter boxes, empties into them the 

 contents from sacks No. 3 and No. 4, and plants to the place 

 of starting. 



Four rows from ears Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively, have 

 now been planted. The corn from ears Nos. 5, 6, 7 and 8 



