Part II.] VALUE OF CORN. 91 



germination, and about 14,500 stalks will be found on an acre 

 of good corn. Observation in many fields, covering a number 

 of years, indicates that of these 14,500 stalks 20 to 25 per 

 cent will be barren, leaving practically 11,000 bearing stalks. 

 Here is a loss in seed and production not to be overlooked. 

 It has to do with the kernel, and is in too many cases the 

 pivotal point between success and failure. To put more vi- 

 tality and virility into our seed must first be the objective 

 point with the grovrer. 



Better preparation of the land, more frequent light cultiva- 

 tion, and the destruction of all weeds are essentials. Before the 

 last going over with the cultivator apply between the rows 200 

 pounds of fertilizer carrying 3 to 3| per cent of nitrogen, 6 

 per cent of phosphoric acid, and, if possible, as much potash, 

 all in form to be promptly available. As this will be applied 

 just before the corn spindles, it will hasten growth of leaf and 

 stalk and carry the crop through to full maturity, increasing 

 length of ears and crop and yield of shelled corn. Looking 

 for seed, the possibility of fertilization of silks by pollen from 

 non-productive stalks must be checked through detasseling or 

 cutting out all barren stalks as soon as spindles are well 

 developed. If this forces the planting of a special breeding 

 plot, away from the field, where the ear-to-row system may 

 be followed, increase in quantity grown and higher seed po- 

 tency may be expected, with strong probability of increased 

 protein value. As everything must here tend to perfection 

 of seed it will pay to remove all suckers on this plot, as well 

 as non-bearing stalks, and thin to three stalks to the hill, 

 allowing abvmdance of sunlight. 



Dent corn averages 9.50 per cent protein; our New England 

 flint corn, 10 to 10.50, while analysis of a number of ears 

 from my breeding plot in 1909 ran as high as 12.65 per cent. 

 Here is the elusive element in corn, to be diligently sought 

 after through breeding, selection and feeding, and has to do 

 entirely with the kernel. 



No one step leads so directly to improvement and increase 

 in kernels as the ear-to-row breeding plot, whereby planting 

 one ear to a row, or a given number of kernels from selected 

 ears, it is only necessary to keep record of the length of the 



