78 Practical Farming 



plot the best attention in the cultivation. Then, when the 

 plants begin to make tassels, go through and remove these 

 from the plants that show no ear coming, and from all of 

 an inferior character and of too tall and ungainly stature 

 or too stunted growth, or that are evidently of inferior 

 production. In this way the pollen will be produced only 

 by the best plants in the plot. From the best ears grown 

 in this way select seed for another plot, and use the gen- 

 eral product for the field planting. Take the same care 

 every year with the seed plot to get all the plants nearer 

 and nearer to your ideal of a perfect com plant. 



Breed at first for productiveness in ears, and after the 

 trait of bearing two or more ears is well estabUshed it 

 will be time enough to go by the score card and select the 

 best ears. I have given these directions for the selection 

 of seed com as it is one of the important crops and one 

 that yields readily to proper selection. You want plants 

 of com of a sturdy habit, with short joints and broad 

 leaves, for the leaf is the most important organ in the 

 general development of the plant. Similar methods will 

 be of value with all of our crops, whether wheat, cotton, 

 or any other crop; for only from the best formed and best 

 matured seed can the best crop be grown. Of other crops 

 we will have more in detail hereafter. We have used 

 Indian com to illustrate how plants develop. How the 

 roots of this com plant should be developed and im- 

 proved we will discuss more fully when we come to tillage 

 of crops. 



