402 FIELD AND GARDEN PRODUCTS 



corn. He profits by the careful work of the breeder by adopting 

 the higher yielding strains and propagating them. 



What Constitutes Good Seed Corn. By far too many consider 

 seed good simply because it will grow. To be first class seed must 

 be: (1) Well adapted to the seasonal and soil conditions where it 

 is to be planted. (2) Grown on productive plants of a productive 

 variety. (3) Well matured, and preserved from ripening time till 

 planting time in a manner that will retain its full vigor. 



How to Gather Seed Corn. At corn-ripening time drop all 

 other business and select an abundance of seed corn. The process 

 is too important to be conducted incidentally while husking. When 

 selecting seed corn give the process your entire attention. Get the 

 very best that is to be had and preserve it well and your increased 

 yields will return you more profit than any other work you can do 

 on your farm. 



The only proper way to select seed corn is from the stalks 

 standing where they grew, as soon as ripe and before the first hard 

 freeze. 



As soon as the crop ripens, go through the field with seed- 

 picking bags and husk the ears from the stalks that have produced 

 the most corn without having any special advantages, such as space, 

 moisture, or fertility. Avoid the large ears on stalks standing singly 

 with an unusual amount of space around them. Preference should 

 be given the plants that have produced most heavily in competition 

 with a full stand of less productive plants. 



An ear of cylindrical shape, well rounded at each end, affords 

 the largest percentage of grain per cob as well as kernels of the 

 most uniform shape. The cob should be neither too large nor too 

 small, and should possess the property of drying well and quickly, 

 causing it to be of light weight and of a bright, healthy color. The 

 kernels should fit compactly together throughout their full length 

 on both sides and edges, and should be uniform in shape and length 

 on all portions of the ear. 



Length is a very desirable character for the kernels of a corn to 

 possess, as it is by increased length in proportion to the diameter 

 of cob that the percentage of grain is increased. Soft, chaffy ker- 

 nels, though long, or kernels with prolonged chaffy caps, are not 

 desired. It is much better to select for increased length of kernel 

 than to select for small cob. Selecting for small cob results in re- 

 ducing the size of the ear, and it is also an easy matter to reduce the 

 size of the cob to such an extent that the pressure of the kernels 

 causes the ear to break. 



The butt of an ear of corn should be well rounded out with 

 deep, regular kernels, compactly and evenly arranged about a cup 

 shaped cavity, the diameter of which should be about an inch. The 

 diameter of the scar where the ear was attached to the stalk^ should 

 be about three-fourths of an inch in medium sized varieties. If 

 the butt is large and wide the ear will be hard to break off in husk- 

 ing; if it is too narrow the ear may blow off. The quality of the 

 corn is strongly indicated by the character of the butts clean, com- 



