CHAPTER III 



CORN AND GRAIN JUDGING 



JUDGING CORN 



Judging the Basis of Corn Improvement. For many 

 years the score card has been used in judging live stock, 

 butter, and cheese ; but not until recently has it come into 

 general use as an aid in judging corn and other grains. 

 Experience has shown, that while the judging of corn by 

 the score card is not a definite science, it gives the farmer 

 and the student the best opportunity for estimating the 

 value of an ear of corn. By carefully studying the different 

 points under which corn is judged, and carefully noting 

 the defects of each ear, one will soon become so proficient 

 that he can select good seed corn, or act as judge satisfac- 

 torily in corn contests. 



Corn may be improved by the farmer in two ways: by 

 the selection of the best ears for seed from the best stalks 

 in the field, or by selecting the best ears from the best row in 

 a field, each row of which has been planted with seed from 

 a single good ear. Such selection of seed is a simple method 

 of corn improvement and can be practiced by any farmer. 



To improve corn by seed selection it is necessary to know 

 what kind of ears to choose for seed. For this purpose a 

 list of the most important points has been prepared on a 

 sheet known as a score card. Each ear is examined and 

 compared with the standard. The score card shown in this 



41 



