CHAPTER VII 



CORN BREEDING OR IMPROVEMENT 



CORN breeding is concerned with determining f'*j what 

 qualities of grain, ear, or plant are hereditary ; (2) the 

 best method of finding hereditary qualities; ancj (3) the 

 means of improv- 

 ing or modifying 

 hereditary qualities. 



In other words, 

 the plant-breeder's 

 task is to maintain 

 desirable qualities 

 now in existence, 

 and to add to them 

 or so to combine 

 them as to make 

 subsequent crops 

 more productive, 

 or otherwise bet- 

 ter suited to the 

 farmer's needs. 



109. Improve- 

 ment of varieties. 



Corn is so easily cross-pollinated and mixed with 

 inferior kinds (Fig. 70), that few of the so-called varieties 

 are strictly pure or uniform. Indeed, until within the 



127 



FIG. 70. SHOWING THE IMMEDIATE EFFECTS 

 (IN THE CURRENT CROSS) OF CROSSING A 

 WHITE POP CORN (ON LEFT) WITH POLLEN 

 FROM a YELLOW DENT CORN (ON RIGHT). 



The resulting hybrid ear with both white and 

 yellow grains is shown in the center. 



