IMPROVING FARM CROPS 



27 



yields given are the averages of the two rows planted 

 from each ear.) 



This table shows the extremely variable yielding ability 

 of ears that are apparently all good. No one would imagine 

 that there would be such a difference. The best four ears 

 were 5, 17, 18, and 20. 

 But these were all grown 

 adjacent to poor rows. 

 It would not do to save 

 seed from these good 

 rows, because they will 

 be crossed with the ad- 

 jacent poor rows. Seed 

 from them might, how- 

 ever, be used in the field 

 planting. We still have 

 parts of each ear saved from the spring planting. The 

 following year, the remnants of these four ears are 

 planted in an isolated place, where they will not mix 



Fio. 12. Yields of adjacent rows in an ear- 

 row test, showing the difference in yielding 

 power of two ears that looked equally good. 



