140 



PLANT-BREEDING 



ing into the remaining plants. Otherwise, at the time of husk- 

 ing, the ears will have been partly cross- pollinated, and no 

 account can be taken of this in the selection. The judging and 

 elimination of its effect must then be left to the next season. 

 From this discussion it is manifest that all selection 

 which can possibly be performed before flowering should be 

 done at that time and be accompanied by the detasseling of 



Fig. 42. Alternate detasseled rows of corn, at a later period of growth 

 on the breeding-blocks of Funk Bros. Seed Co., Bloomington, 111. 



the inferior stalks. This detasseling is done by pulling the 

 tassels out and is without injury to the plant. It requires 

 going over the field at least three times, in order to pull out 

 the tassels of all the imperfect plants, when they are fully 

 developed, but before the opening of the anthers and the 

 spreading of the pollen. No plants which appear broken, 

 dwarfed, immature, barren, or otherwise undesirable should 

 be allowed to mature pollen. The occurrence of tillers or 

 suckers and other characters can b? attended to. Rows 



