62 CORN CULTURE 



continuously ; and in a third case 5 stalks per hill were grown. In 

 the thick planting only the strongest stalks could produce good ears. 

 The yields produced in 1911, after six years of natural selection, 

 when seed from each case was planted at the normal rate (3 stalks 

 per hill), were as follows 2 : 



Results from Seed Selected from Thick and Thin Plantings 



Yield when planted 3 grains 

 Origin of seed per hill. Bushels per acre 



One plant per hill 39.8 



Three plants per hill 43.7 



Five plants per hill 48.1 



Selecting Seed from Crib. In the past common custom has 

 been to husk the corn crop and crib the ears. The farmer would 

 select his seed while the corn was being cribbed or taken out. Often 

 excellent seed corn can be secured in this way, but there are at least 

 two disadvantages: (1) The crib is not a good place to preserve 

 the germinating qualities of corn, and often it is difficult to find 

 seed that will grow. (2) It is not known under what conditions the 

 seed co,rn was grown. There are always very favorable places in the 

 field where it may also happen that the stand of corn is thin. Large 

 ears may grow here, but they are not necessarily adapted to the aver- 

 age conditions of the field. 



The best seed corn is that grown where the stand is normal and 

 the soil conditions are average. 



Field Selection. Many good growers now select their seed corn 

 from the standing stalks in the field. Where it is desired to main- 

 tain or increase the earliness of the corn, selection is usually made 

 as soon as the first ears are well matured. In the corn belt this 

 would be about the last of October. 



The advantages of field selection are : (1) Early maturing ears 

 may be selected. (2) The conditions, as to soil and stand, under 

 which the plant was grown may be known. (3) Character of the 

 plant may be known. It is desirable to select ears of uniform 

 height and growing rather low on the stalk. (4) The seed corn 

 may be carefully dried and stored to preserve germination. 



Storing Seed Corn. AJ1 the factors that cause seed corn to lose 

 germination have not been clearly worked out. Corn when first ripe 



2 Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 127, p. 21, 1912. 



