CORN 



195 



tendency, because the ears are then fertilized only by 

 pollen from stalks more productive than the average. The 

 seed from a crop that has been treated in this way will be, 

 not only not worse, but decidedly better, than the seed that 

 produced that crop. Every farmer who saves his own 



corn seed as all corn raisers , 



should do ought to be a 

 breeder of corn at least as far 

 as concerns this simple and 

 profitable operation upon his 

 seed plot. 



There are other still more 

 important methods of breed- 

 ing corn for increased produc- 

 tion. These will be discussed 

 in Chapter XIX. Some of 

 them, too, are suitable for 

 practice on any ordinary farm 

 when corn is raised at all, 

 and their more general adoption would add enormously to 

 our national wealth. If our average corn yield on the 

 present acreage were increased only from 40 bushels to 50 

 bushels, the increase would be worth half a billion dollars 

 each year. This would pay all the expenses of our school 

 system, from the kindergarten to the university. 



b. Improvement in quality. An average bushel of corn, 

 weighing 56 pounds, contains approximately 

 36 pounds of starch 



7 pounds of gluten 



5 pounds of bran 



4 pounds of germ 



4 pounds of worthless matter including water. 

 Glucose manufacturers desire corn with high oil value. 

 Feeders of bacon ho<js demand corn with low oil value. 



CORN BAGGED. 

 To keep off inferior pollen. 



