118 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Score Card, Dent Corn. 

 Points. 



1. Maturity and seed condition, 



2. Uniformity, 



3. Kernels, .... 



4. Weight of ear, . 



5. Length and proportion, 

 G. Butts, .... 



7. Tips 



8. Space between rows, . 



9. Color, .... 



Total, 



Perfect Score. 

 . 25 

 . 15 

 . 15 

 . 15 

 10 



5 



5 



5 



5 



100 



Explanation of Score Cardfi. 

 Of cour.se some difference must be made in judging dent and flint 

 corn. The following explanation of the jwint.s are made to guide the 

 growers in selecting their corn for exhibition purposes this fall : — 



1. Maturity and Seed Condition.- — This is perhaps the most im- 

 portant point on the score card. Corn is worthle.ss, economically 

 speaking, if it will not grow. The ears should be firm (try twisting in 

 the hands) and free from mold. They should have a bright luster. 

 There should be no chaff or silks adhering. The germs should not be 

 shrunken or blistered, and the sample should show an all-round healthy, 

 vigorous appearance. 



2. Uniformity. — Uniformity and trueness to type are usually con- 

 sidered together. Few types are recognized in the west. It is hard 

 to determine what a " type " of New England corn is. The ears should 

 be similar in length, shape, size and color, indentation of kernels, etc. 

 Uniformity in an exhibit would go to show that the corn was suf- 

 ficiently developed so that the type had become somewhat fixed and 

 stable. 



3. Kernels. — Of course here again an entirely different basis must 

 be used for dent and flint corns. The kernels should be uniform and 

 slightly wedge .shaped. (.Judges remove a few kernels from different 

 parts of the ear to determine this.) The shape of the kernel determines 

 to a great extent the amount of corn on the cob, lost space between 

 rows, also chemical composition. Kernels with much starch are rich 

 in carbohydrates; those having a larger germ are rich in oil. The 

 kernels should possess germs of good size. Kernels of uneven size do 

 not work through corn planters with uniformity. The edges of the 

 kernels should be straight and fit closely together; they should be of 

 uniform thickness. The rows should also be straight. 



//. Weight of Ear. — In this score card this item takes the place of 

 "proportion of corn to cob" in other score cards. Dry cobs do not 

 vary much in weight, and it is much easier for a judge to weigh the 

 ears than to have two or three out of ten shelled and the proportion 

 of corn to cob determined in this way. The weight of shelled corn 



