,U4 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Improvement in Yield. — When improvement in yield is the object, 

 the first step should be to select a good variety. It would be unwise 

 to attempt the improvement of a poor variety. It could be done, 

 but it is unnecessary, for there are already numerous excellent varie- 

 ties. From such a variety, select a considerable number of ears which 

 approach the ideal type. Western growers advise the very careful 

 selection of 100 ears from the general crop. These ears should then 

 be more critically examined and compared with each other, and about 

 one-half, including only those which appear to be very superior, should 

 be reserved for yet closer examination. The next step should be to 

 shell these specially selected ears and carefully weigh the grain, and, 

 in the light of the facts thus disclosed, still further reduce the num- 

 ber. Western corn breeders usually advise taking 25 ears for the 

 breeding plot. They generally recommend planting two rows of 50 

 hills each from each ear. If 25 be the number selected, then rows 

 Nos. 1 and 26 should be planted with corn from ear No. 1, rows Nos. 

 2 and 27 with corn from ear No. 2, and so on. This duplication is 

 practised in order that the danger of making a wrong selection on 

 account of inequalities in the fertility of the soil in different parts of 

 the plot may be reduced to a minimum. It is best to locate such a 

 plot in the midst of a larger field of the same variety, in order to 

 insure thorough pollination. Each of these rows is to be harvested by 

 itself, the grain shelled, and the product of only a few of the ears giv- 

 ing the highest yields reserved for the breeding plot of the next year; 

 and, in order to effect the utmost possible improvement, only the 

 best ears from these best rows should be selected for further work. 

 The balance of the first year's breeding plot may be used for the gen- 

 eral crop of the following year. Some breeders advise that in the 

 breeding plot of the second year, including perhaps the product of 

 the four or five best ears of the first selection, the plants descended 

 from all except one of the original ears should be detasseled, in order 

 to make it certain that cross and not close pollination must take place 

 in the majority of ears in the plot. There is much evidence to show 

 that pollination from plants of remote ancestry gives more vigorous 

 and productive seed than pollination from closely related plants. 

 This plan, therefore, of detasseling all except one of the types of the 

 breeding plot, would seem to be wise. 



Methods of Original Selection. — Whether the object be to select 

 very critically, with the idea of attempting improvement by system- 

 atic breeding, or simply the selection of ears to be used for seed for 

 the general crop, three distinct methods may be followed: (1) the 

 selection may be made from the bin ; (2) it may be made when husk- 

 ing; (3) it may be made in the field. 



Selection in the bin has the advantage that the best may be picked 

 out from a very large number. Selection when husking perhaps will 

 possess the same advantage if the huskers are persons of sufficient 



