154 THE ESSENTIALS OF AGRICULTURE 



the number of stalks per acre that were fruitful. What percentage of the 

 stalks were barren ? 



16. Make a count in several cornfields and ascertain the per cent of 

 stand, of fruitful stalks, of stalks bearing nubbins, and of stalks bearing 

 good ears. 



EXERCISES 



1. Judging corn. In judging exhibits of corn the purpose should 

 be to select the best seed. The score card is usually employed in 

 beginning the study of ear characteristics. It calls attention in a log- 

 ical order to the different ear characteristics and assigns a value to 

 each. Scoring, however, is not an exact mathematical method to be 

 followed mechanically. The score card should not be used in selecting 

 or judging exhibits after the student has learned the characteristics 

 of good seed and has developed a sound judgment. The agricultural 

 colleges and the corn breeders' associations of the country have devel- 

 oped score cards planned to suit local conditions. The teacher should 

 procure copies of the local score card. The score card in Appendix B 

 applies in a general way to the conditions of the corn belt, and each 

 student should score one or more ears of corn. 



2. Shelling qualities, i. Collect ears of various qualities as fol- 

 lows : not filled at the butt ; not filled at the tip ; partially filled along 

 the cob ; a cob which bore no grains ; ears badly mixed in colors ; 

 very rough ears ; smooth ears ; tapering ears ; cylindrical ears. 



2. Compare the maturity of the above ears. 



3. Shell a row of grains from a tapering ear and place the grains 

 in order beside those of a row from a cylindrical ear. Compare the 

 grains in depth, breadth, and thickness. 



4. Weigh a tapering ear and a cylindrical ear of approximately the 

 same length ; then shell both, weigh the grains, and determine the 

 percentage of weight which the grains make in each case. 



5. Weigh all the grains from two rows of a tapering ear and from 

 two rows of a cylindrical ear and compare. 



3. Pollination. Cover an ear with a large paper bag before the ear 

 has been pollinated. Dust plenty of pollen on the silks of a neighbor- 

 ing ear. Note how quickly the silks of the pollinated ear die and how 

 long those of the unpollinated ear live and to what length they grow. 



4. Grading seed. Examine a corn planter at the farm of a patron 

 or at an implement store. Block the planter so that the grains may be 



