SEED INSPECTION 45 



Type and Variety Studies of Sweet Corn 



Conducted in Conjunction with tlie Department of Vegetable Gardening 

 Prof. Grant B. Snyder 



The field trials of sweet corn for 1932 included 69 varieties from 29 sources, 

 or 211 lots. The seed was purchased in all cases from the seed firm or grower. 

 In conducting the trials every effort was made to maintain uniform cultural 

 conditions and fair evaluation of plant and ear characters. 



Detailed records were taken of each lot as to maturity, yield, and plant, 

 ear and kernel characters. Sugar readings were also taken of each lot during 

 the maturity period. These records are available to anyone interested but 

 they will not be presented in this report except in those cases where the lot 

 was variable to a degree sufficient to influence its commercial value for the 

 name under which it was sold. 



In general the sorts included were fairly true in type for the variety desig- 

 nated by the seedsman. In the older, standard varieties, very few variations 

 were noted in the various strains of a given sort. There was, however, con- 

 siderable variation in strains of the more recently introduced varieties in 

 season of maturity and plant characters. The lots which showed decided 

 variation in one or more factors are listed below. 



Golden Gem, Farmers Seed Co.: 40 per cent of plants tall and late in 

 maturity. 



Golden Gem, S. D. Woodruff: lot was Spanish Gold and not Golden Gem. 



Spanish Gold, F. H. Woodruff: lot variable in growth and maturity. 



Spanish Gold, Alex. Forbes Seed Co.: 5 per cent of plants tall and late, 

 off type. 



Earliest Yellow, W. Schell Seed Co.: two distinct types in lot, one tall and 

 late, the other short and early. 



Early Yellow Sensation and Extra Early Yellow, F. H. Woodruff: prac- 

 tically identical in maturity and in plant, ear and kernel characters. 



Extra Early Golden, Comstock, Ferre Co.: two distinct types in lot. 



Early Surprise, Hart Seed Co.: 50 per cent of lot later and taller than 

 typical for Early Surprise. 



Early Crosby, Ross Seed Co.: 5 per cent of plants decidedly off type. 



Early Mayflower, Ross Seed Co.: 5 per cent of plants dwarf with 8-rowed 

 ears. 



In certain varieties considerable variation in number of rows of kernels per 

 ear was noted as the only variable factor. Especially was this true of Golden 

 Bantam where many strains ran from 10 to 12 and even 14 rows. 



Laboratory and Field Germination Tests of Sweet Corn 



Seed Laboratory, Depts. of Vegetable Gardening and Botany Cooperating 



Laboratory and field germination tests were made from the seed of each 

 sample of sweet corn used for variety studies. Lots of two hundred seed were 

 used both in laboratory and in field, not only to arrive at final figures but to 

 record the presence of seed-borne organisms on the seed as received and the 

 seedlings under laboratory test, also their relative importance upon field 

 sown seed and resultant crop. Dr. O. C. Boyd of the Department of Botany 

 identified and cultured organisms from both laboratory and field sown seed. 

 Records of this work are on file at the Seed Laboratory which plans to con- 

 tinue the study for two more years before drawing conclusions and publishing 

 results. 



