THE "EAR-TO-ROW" EXPERIMENT 257 



should have time to evaporate from the ear before it is 

 stored. Otherwise, molds may develop and the germs 

 be killed. Seed corn, therefore, should not be soft and 

 spongy on the cob. 



191. The "Ear-to-Row" Experiment. When ears of seed 

 corn have been selected as described above, if the seed 

 tests well, it ought to produce a stand much above the 

 average, and, by following up the process for a few years, 

 marked gains should be secured. But it is possible, at no 



STARTING A CORN VARIETY TEST. 



great expense of time and labor, to carry the selection a 

 step further by the " ear-to-row " method. 



For this, the farmer must have a special seed plot. A 

 certain number of the most promising seed ears are 

 selected, one or two hundred. These are numbered. 

 Then the seed of No. 1 is planted in row No. 1 ; the seed 

 of ear 2 in row 2 ; and so on. The ears probably all 

 promised well and looked much alike; but the rows will 

 probably show an amazing difference in productivity. 

 Some rows may produce two or even four times as much 

 corn as other rows. Seed for the next year will be selected 



