No. 4.] CORN SELECTION. 115 



woukl sccni to show that the original habit of the plant was to produce 

 a small ear at every joint. The silk is the female organ of reproduc- 

 tion, the tassel, the male organ of reproduction, containing the pollen, 

 which is shaken and blown about, falling on the silks (pistils) and 

 fertilizing them. The fact that there is so much pollen produced by 

 the tassels and this is blown about by the wind, or carried over con- 

 siderable distances by other agencies, accounts for corn "mixing" 

 so badly. It is not safe to plant two distinct types nearer than 20 

 rods of each other, and even at this distance considerable cross-fer- 

 tilization may take place. To avoid "inbreeding" and to cause cross- 

 fertilization somtimes every other row in a breeding plot is detasseled. 



Corn plants have two root systems, one consisting of coarse strong 

 roots, coming oflf at a little distance above the ground, which act as 

 braces for the plant. The other is the fibrous root system, which grows 

 underneath the soil, taking nourishment for the plant. A knowledge 

 of how this last root system places itself in the soil will aid in deciding 

 the kind of cultivation to employ. Deep cultivation after the plants 

 are started destroys this feeding root system, lessening the growth of 

 the plant, as well as allowing great loss of soil moisture. 



Another point which must not be overlooked, but which will not be 

 discussed at length, is uniform stand. It is an easy thing, by careless 

 planting or by using poor seed, to lose 10 per cent or even 20 per cent 

 of the hills or bearing stalks in the hills. This loss may mean the net 

 profit which might have been obtained with the same amount of land, 

 labor, fertilizer and cost of growing the crop. Care should be iaken 

 to have no vacancies in the field or barren stalks in the hills. Without 

 a uniform stand a good jdeld cannot be expected. 



Corn may be selected to increase strength of plant, yield, early 

 maturity, size of ear, content of starch or protein, position of ear on 

 the stalk, amount of leaf, if for silage, and for other desirable character- 

 istics. It is not possible to select for many of these characteristics at 

 the same time. 



For New England it is probably best not to go too far from home 

 for a type with which to begin. The mistake is too often made of 

 sending for seed to regions where entirely different climatic conditions 

 prevail than those under which the crop is to be afterwards grown. 

 Care should be taken to select a type that will be worthy of improve- 

 ment. Get as pure a strain as possible; one adapted to your region, 

 and one that will mature in an average season. Oftentimes seed can 

 be secured from some one who has already spent several years in doing 

 the preliminary work necessary to establish a strain and fix a type. 

 Secure seed from such whenever possible. It will save years of your 

 own time. 



This may seem like a paradoxical statement, but the time to begin 

 to grow corn is in the late summer or early fall. Seed corn should 

 also be selected in the field. Bv so doing the character and strength 



