SECTION XXIII. SELECTING OR JUDGING 

 SEED-CORN 



BY careful selection of seed-corn, five 

 bushels or more per acre can be added to 

 the usual yield. It pays well, therefore, to 

 learn to select or judge corn. It is im- 

 portant to select seed from good plants, 

 and also from the best ears. 



Selecting the best ear. On p. 131 is the 

 score-card adopted by the corn-growers of 

 one state. It gives all the points to be taken 

 into consideration in judging corn. Experi- 

 ence is needed to bring skill in this. 



GENERAL DIRECTIONS. Begin with the second 

 horizontal line in the table, which is for "shape of 

 ear." Carefully examine the ear to discover whether 

 or not the shape is perfect. Among defects may 

 be slight crookedness, too much taper, or rows of 

 kernels twisting around the cob instead of being 

 straight. A shape that is very good may be scored 

 "9"; a perfect shape, 10, is rare. If there are very 

 great defects in shape, give it some lower number, say 

 " 8," if its only weak point is a moderate twisting 

 of the rows of kernels. 



After deciding on the score for each quality, write 

 the figure or grade in the proper blank column in the 

 table. When all the other qualities have been noted, 

 score the first one. 



FIG. 



TIP, 



SIDE VIEW, AND 

 BUTT OF A PRIZE- 

 WINNING EA$ 

 OF CORN 



129 



