31 



and more easily masticated, and therefore likely to be somewhat better 

 digested. The fact that the flint varieties of corn produce more suckers 

 than the dent is possibly the reason why the ears of the flint varieties 

 are generally better filled at the tip than is the case with the dent 

 varieties; for the pollen produced by the tassels of the suckers must be 

 useful in fertilizing the silks at the tips of the ears. The stalk of the 

 flint varieties is in general more slender than that of dent corns, and, 

 if well cured and fed without cutting or shredding, is more palatable; 

 but this peculiarity of the stalk makes it somewhat more difficult to 

 so build the shocks that they will stand securely while curing. 



Many of the characteristics of dent varieties of corn have been 

 indicated in what has been said in relation to flint varieties. In the 

 great corn States the varieties of field corn under cultivation all belong 

 to this class. Many varieties grow to enormous height, and are capable, 

 with a sufficiently long season, of giving extremel)^ heavy yields. On 

 the other hand, there are numerous relatively small varieties, which 

 require a comparatively short season, grown in the States of the north- 

 ern Mississippi valley. ' Some of these varieties are desirable grain crops 

 in the most favorable localities in Massachusetts, notably in the Con- 

 necticut valley ; while in most parts of the State dent varieties are pre- 

 ferred for ensilage. 



It is not the purpose of this article to go into detail in relation to 

 corn as a garden crop. It seems worth while, however, to refer to the 

 sweet varieties, on account of their possible use as forage crops. Sweet 

 corn furnishes fodder of very superior quality for feeding green, and the 

 medium to large varieties are well worth cultivating for that purpose. 

 Sweet corn has sometimes been used as ensilage, but is not regarded 

 as equally desirable with suitable flint or dent varieties for that pur- 

 pose, on account of the fact that the resulting silage, under conditions 

 in all other respects similar, contains a larger percentage of acid than 

 does silage from either flint or dent varieties. 



Good Seed of the Utmost Importance. 



It is equally as true of varieties of corn as it is of breeds of live 

 stock, that there is a wide variation in different strains or families of 

 the same species or variety. There is well-bred and highly improved 

 Longfellow corn, for example; and if Longfellow corn be the variety 

 selected, it is seed with these characteristics that should be looked for. 

 Not everything, unfortunately, sold under the name Longfellow is well 

 bred and highly improved. It may be Longfellow corn, and still be 

 greatly inferior to the product of a better breeder or grower. Heredity 

 is of as great importance in the vegetable as in the animal world, and 

 only from well-bred, well-grown seed can the best results be expected. 

 The improvement of varieties of corn has received a great deal of 

 attention during the past few years, both in the different experiment 

 stations, especially of the great corn States, and on the part of in- 

 dividual growers. Great improvement ha3 already been effected. A 

 few States have corn breeders associations, and systems of registration 

 of pedigree seed similar to those for live stock. New England corn 

 growers have for generations used much care in the selection of seed, 

 and the old New England varieties are many of them highly improved. 

 It seems reasonable, however, to expect that, with the fuller knowledge 

 of the present day and with the improved methods which have been 

 put into successful practice in the west, still further improvement can 

 be made. It seems, therefore, high.ly desirable that New England corn 

 growers should systematically undertake such improvement. The 



