THE SELECTION OF SEED CORN IN THE FIELD 41 



of seed corn selected from the crib owe their excellent 

 appearance to this lack of competition in the field. The 

 intelligent selection of seed ears from the stalk in the field 

 is helpful, since we can be sure that the excellence which 

 the ear possesses is due to something wrapped up in the seed 

 and not to something which has happened to the plant. 



Both heredity and environment are responsible for what 

 we see as we look over a field of corn with its thousands of 

 individual plants, no two of which possess like characters 

 or the same possibilities. The work of the corn grower, 

 young or old, is to determine that which is temporary or 

 accidental and that which is lasting and may be inherited. 



