CORN BREEDING 135 



If necessary, fertilize each half of each row with uniform 

 weighed amounts of fertilizer. 



As soon as the tassels show, and before they have dis- 

 charged any pollen, remove the tassels on one half of every 

 odd-numbered row (let us say the north half) and on the 

 other (or south) half of every even-numbered row (Fig. 72) . 

 Seed is to be saved only from the detasseled plants, 

 thereby insuring cross-fertilization. 



From time to time as the crop grows, make note ,of and 

 reject those rows on which the plants show undesirable 

 qualities, as excessive growth of suckers, tendency to fall 

 down, excessive height of ears above ground, and the like. 

 At harvest, weigh the husked ears of each row separately 

 and on each of the best ten rows place a label or tag on 

 a number of ears from the best plants. On this tag should 

 be entered the peculiar excellence, if any, of each selected 

 plant. 



For planting the breeding-patch of the second year, save 

 the ears from the best plants on the 8 or 10 best rows. Use 

 the remaining good ears from these best rows to plant larger 

 fields next year. These steps are usually all that are neces- 

 sary in the improvement of corn by most farmers. 



The method of conducting the ear-to-row breeding-plot is the 

 same year after year, obtaining seed each year from the best 

 plants of the 8 to 10 best rows. All other good ears from de- 

 tasseled plants of the most productive rows may be used as seed 

 for a seed patch of several acres or for the general crop. 



The limits of this book preclude an explanation of systems of 

 numbering the ears and their offspring, for which the reader 

 is referred to Illinois Experiment Station Bulletin, No. 100 ; 

 Connecticut Experiment Station Bulletin, No. 152 ; and Bailey's 

 Cyclopedia of American Agriculture, Vol. II, p. 424. 



