154 THE SOILS 'iND'^ROPS OF THE ^E'ARm!* 



'M 



pactness tlie one with the small cob will contain the 



most cojn. 



A large cob is not especially objectionable, however, 



if it is surrounded by a correspondingly larger supply 



of corn. Although ears 

 with small cobs usu- 

 ally contain the larger 

 proportion of corn the 

 total yield is often less. 

 In a good ear the 

 shelled corn will oc- 

 cupy the same space 

 as the ear before it is 

 shelled. It is a good 

 relationship where the 

 Space between rows well filled. length of the kernel is 



half that of the diameter of the cob. 



On an ear of dent corn there should be but little 



space between the rows of kernels and they should be 



solidly and compactly placed. 



To this end the kernel should 



be as nearly wedge-shaped 



as possible. An average 



sized dent kernel is -five- 

 eighths of an inch ^^^^ 



A smooth ear is pleasanter 



to husk, although there are 



some excellent varieties 



whose ears are rough. The 



kernels which cause rough 



ears are usually longer but 



somewhat less compact than those causing smooth 



Space between rows not well 

 tilled. 



