on the seed-bearing rows. 

 ' Then the resulting ears taken from 

 |the female or seed-bearing rows of 

 corn are crossed the same way with an- 

 other single cross variety. This produces 

 the double cross or hybrid corn which 

 is sold commercially. For example, the 

 popular, high-yielding Hybrid, Illinois 

 960, is a combination of four inbreds. 

 These are inbred R4 crossed with in- 

 bred HY and this single cross is crossed 

 with another single cross of inbreds 

 317 and 701. Thus the pedigree of 

 Illinois 960 is written thus: (R4 x HY) 

 by (317 X 701). In presenting such 

 double cross pedigrees the female or 

 seed bearing variety is given first, and 

 the male or pollinator last. 



The topnotch inbreds have been 

 brought together in different combina- 

 tions. It is this feature, the chance of 

 hitting the combination that produces 

 a winner that makes the plant breeder's 

 work so fascinating. 



As the science of breeding inbreds and 

 crossing them unfolds, it is conceivable 

 that hybrid corn will be developed that 

 far exceeds anything we have today. The 

 limiting factor, of course, is the fertil- 

 ity of the soil. But given a fertile 

 soil with plenty of plant food avail- 

 able, enthusiasts are predicting that 

 hybrids will be brought forth that con- 

 sistently yield in excess of 100 bushels 

 an acre. 



There is plenty of painstaking work 

 in the production of hybrid seed corn. 

 The price of $8 to $10 may look ex- 

 cessive, but it isn't all gravy. With 

 greater volume this cost of production 

 will come down — it dropped sub- 

 stantially this year — but hybrid never 

 will be produced as cheaply as common 

 or open-p>ollinated corn. 



For instance, an important item of 

 expense is the detasseling of the seed 

 bearing stalks during the growing sea- 

 son. Boys are usually hired for this 

 work. In July and early August a 

 gang of boys is put into the field to 

 pull off the tassels before they can pos- 

 sibly release any pollen. When pollen 

 is allowed to fall from the rows that 

 should be detasseled it will cut the 

 yielding ability of the seed ears pollin- 

 ated by such pollen from 25 to 30 per 

 cent. But it will not affect the stand- 

 ing ability of the corn. So hybrid 

 corn that stands well does not neces- 

 sarily mean that a good job of detas- 

 seling has been done. 



Right here is where a careless or 

 unscrupulous seed company bent on 

 quick profits rather than an enduring 

 record of honest service can cut costs 

 at the expense of a quality product. 



'Several of the larger hybrid seed 

 companies boast of the fact that they 

 detassel their corn eight to ten times," 

 said Manager Schofield of the Ford 



County Association. "Others boast of 

 the fact that they detassel 10 to 15 

 times. We did not have a field this 

 past summer that had not been de- 

 tasseled at least 21 times and some as 

 many as 30." 



The Ford County cooperative along 

 with the DeKalb Agricultural Associa- 

 tion, Funk Bros. Seed Co., Columbiana 

 Seed Co., Decatur Farm Management, 

 Inc. Sibley Estate, and a host of others 

 belong to the Illinois Crop Improve- 

 ment Assn. This is a voluntary "audit " 

 that seed producers have set up as a 

 guarantee to the public that they are 

 doing business on the square; that they 

 are willing to have an inspector drop 

 in any time, check up on their acreage 

 in seed crops, methods of production 

 and handling, drying, cleaning, treat- 

 ing, and storing the seed after it is 

 produced. This regular "audit" is es- 



all of the common stock not issued. 

 Thus if the Farm Bureau has 1500 

 members who are preferred sharehold- 

 ers, the County Farm Bureau as an or- 

 ganization would not vote any com- 

 mon. If a member drops out or fails 

 to pay his dues his common stock is 

 cancelled, and he loses his opportunity 

 to share in patronage dividends. 



The organization at this writing is 

 directed by five officers and directors, 

 L. A. Barrow, president; Floyd Hev- 

 ener, vice-president; Geo. Arends, sec'y- 

 treas. ; Chas. Dueringer; and Frank 

 Anderson. At the annual meeting set 

 for Jan. 15 the board will be increased 

 to seven directors with a directorate 

 interlocking with that of the Farm 

 Bureau. 



The Ford County Crop Improvement 

 Assn. is today so far along toward its 

 goal that even the conservatives who 



A SEED GRADING MACHINE IN SIBLEY PLANT 

 All Sfd is sorted, driad. shelled, graded, cleaned, treated and sacked. 



pecially important to insure that de- 

 tasseling is done properly in producing 

 hybrid seed. Seed that is not certified 

 by the Illinois Crop Improvement 

 Ass'n. may be all right but a careful 

 buyer will give preference to that carry- 

 ing the Illinois Crop Improvement As- 

 sociation label. 



The Ford County Improvement As- 

 sociation is distinctly a cooperative 

 Farm Bureau enterprise. It has been 

 set up in such a way that Farm Bureau 

 members will get a differential dividend 

 when earned and declared. It is being 

 financed by preferred 6% cumulative 

 stock. Of the 2500 shares (|10 par 

 value) authorized, approximately $19,- 

 000 has been sold to some 500 stock- 

 holders. Farm Bureau members who 

 are preferred shareholders hold the 

 common stock of which 3000 shares 

 are authorized. Each Farm Bureau mem- 

 ber who buys one or more share of pre- 

 ferred gets two shares of common. 

 The Ford County Farm Bureau votes 



said it couldn't be done are today pre- 

 dicting success. The company has sold 

 7500 bushels of corn mostly at $8 a bu. 

 Present indications point to net profits of 

 at least $15,000 for the first year of op- 

 eration although many believed the busi- 

 ness would show a loss the first two 

 years. About 25 per cent of the 1937 

 hybrid seed crop was sold outside the 

 county. 



All hybrid seed is grown under con- 

 tract with farmers in Ford and adjoin- 

 ing counties. The cooperative furnishes 

 the seed and does all the detasseling. 

 The farmer cultivates and harvests the 

 corn. The company pays the grower 

 50 per cent above the Chicago price. 

 No. 2 basis for all corn suitable for 

 seed. Throwou'i corn is paid for at 

 the market price. The grower has the 

 privilege of saying when he wants to 

 sell. If he sells in January, the price 

 is 50% above the average closing price 

 for Chicago No. 2 corn during the month 

 (Continued on page 2i) . 



due 

 wa 

 pro 

 but 

 Coi 

 stoc 

 ing 



14 



L A. A. RECORD 



