■206 NATURE-STUDY Ji/:VIEn [6:7-Oct.. mo 



■about 6% to 7 inches. The ear should be about the same diameter 

 ■at the butt as it is at ihe tip. 



The butt of the ear should have kernels well over it, and when the 

 shank is broken out there should be a deep hollow. The tips should 

 not be pointed, but egg-shaped and the kernels should be all over the 

 111 , so none of the cob would be in sight. 



The rows on the cdr should run straight up and down the length 

 01 the ear; the rows should have a very narrow space between them 

 and the kernels should have a space between them at the cob so the 

 air could circulate through the ear and dry it. 



The kernels of m ear of corn should be deep and wedge-shaped 

 snd well filled out at the germ end, and I also think that the kernels 

 should be dented at the top. This shows the corn is not run out. 



The per cent, of corn to the cob should be from 85 to 88. I think 

 the corn should be ripe, sound and dry and the corn germ should be 

 strong and large. 



Leon Kelly, 

 4ge 12, Eighth Grade, Independent School. 



HOW I SHOULD SELECT SEED CORN 



I should go out in October and mark the ears that I would want; 

 then when I went to husk corn, I would pick them, 



I should select the ears from stalks that were standing straight 

 and had firm roots, for if the stalk is standing it is not so hard to 

 liusk. and the ear is not so liable to rot as it would if it were on the 

 ground. 



i should select ears from stalks which bore two ears, because the 

 University has found out that two ears can be raised on a stalk as 

 ■easy as one, and if this can be done it will double the corn crop. 



I should select ears hanging on a stalk about 3 feet from the 

 ground, because it would be easier to husk, and would also help to 

 Iceep it from blowing down. 



I should not select seed corn from a hill occupied by one stalk or 

 fiom a hill where there are a number of missing hills around it, 

 because the seed might be injured. 



I should select the ears that are hanging down, so that the rain 

 ivonld not beat down into the ear and rot it. 



I should select the hard ears and they should be large and well 

 filed out at the tip. 



Chables Hickman, 

 Age 14, Eighth Grade. Independent School. 

 Lewis Bowyeb, Teacher. 



The teacher thought it was worth while and feels sure that 

 when these hoys commence to raise corn for themselves they will 

 have a more thoughtful attitude towards their work, and will 

 raise better crops because of this special work they have done in 

 school. 



I have talked with a number of our experienced rural teach- 

 ers and they are unanimous in their belief that if the work were 

 organized around some crop of great importance to the commu- 

 nity, and related things studied in connection with that crop, the 

 work would be more unified and better results secured. 



There is a need for printed matter on this work, written on 



