THE "EAR TO THE ROW" BREEDING PLOT 109 



Tasseling time usually comes at a very busy season of 

 the year, which makes it necessary to get the work done 

 quickly as well as thoroughly. This work can be done easily 

 by going between the rows astride a horse muzzled to prevent 

 destroying the corn. The tassels should be pulled, never cut. 

 The field should be gone over the first time when about two- 

 thirds of the tassels are just beginning to show. A second 

 going over a week later will get practically all of the re- 

 mainder, providing the work is carefully done. About two 

 weeks after the detasseling, the plot should be gone through 

 and all suckers and barren stalks removed. If there are 

 many suckers the breeder will be well repaid for this work 

 by the increase in yield. 



MAKING OBSERVATIONS 



The best time for the breeder to make observations for 

 maturity, soundness and position of ear on the stalk, is when 

 the earliest rows have just matured. The beginner in corn 

 breeding will be surprised to notice that the husks in some 

 rows will be brown and dry, while on other rows they will 

 be quite green. 



When it comes to deciding what rows to reserve, your 

 opinion should be guided largely, but not altogether, by the 

 weight of corn in the individual rows. If the scales alone 

 were to make the decision, they would very likely indicate 

 that we should keep one of the latest maturing rows, since 

 they are often the highest yielders. To decide by weight 

 alone would be a very serious mistake. It is not necessary 

 to husk out and weigh separately every detasseled row in 

 the breeding plot. The rows that promise apparent quality 

 should be weighed out, and only those kept for seed that 

 show a yield above the average. 



