Grade. 

 Date. . 



EXERCISE 7 



FIELD SELECTION OF CORN 



Object. To show the class the best type of corn plant from which to 

 breed, and to give each student practice in field selection. 



Step 1. The class should decide on the desired type 

 and the instructor should illustrate each desirable and 

 undesirable character in the field. 



Consider the following characters: 



1. A vigorous plant. Such a plant should be stocky at 

 the base, straight, average or slightly above average 

 in height. 



2. One ear to the plant. Unless in an average season 

 on average ground one can grow two ears per plant it 

 is better to select plants having one good ear. 



3. Ear located one-third to one-half the distance from 

 the base to the tassel and moderately drooping. 



A low ear does not blow off so easily, is easier to 

 husk and ripens earlier. A drooping ear is protected 

 from moisture. 



4. A mature ear. Maturity indicates good adaptation. 

 Step 2. Each student should take one or more rows 



and should select good and poor plants in respect to the 

 four characters listed above. When these plants are 

 brought to the end of the row the class may decide which 

 plant best illustrates each character. Then the class should 

 search for plants which are strong in all four characters. 



FIG. 10. A seed corn 



tree. Field Crops 

 (Wilson and Warburton) 



Reference. Bussell, F. P., Cornell University. Improving the Corn 

 Crop, Reading Course Lesson 129. Read in any good text on field crops, 

 methods of storing seed corn (Fig. 10). 



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