SELECTION OF SEED. 179 



be cut and fed out green, it is sown in drills instead of 

 hills. For this use it is one of the most valuable and 

 important plants we have. 



Most of the operations in the culture and harvesting 

 of Indian corn may be performed by machinery. Husk- 

 ing, one of the slowest and most irksome processes con- 

 nected with it, may now be well and quickly done, at a 

 great saving of time and labor over the old methods. 



In selecting corn for seed, the tips of the ears are 

 thought to be best, and that part near the butt end of 

 the ear next in value. The common practice in New 

 England, for many years, has been to use only the seeds 

 which grow on the middle of the ear. 



The experiment of planting seed taken from different 

 parts of the ear has been repeatedly tried, and the 

 result has almost uniformly been better from that taken 

 near the tips, however contrary it may be to the theo- 

 ries hitherto received, in regard to the full and com- 

 plete development and perfection of seed. One farmer, 

 within my knowledge, followed up his experiment for 



Fig. 146. 



ten years, planting only the corn from the small end of 

 the ears, choosing such as were well filled out, then 

 selecting only that from the middle of the ears, and 

 then only that from the large ends. After ten years, 

 he found that in seven years of the ten the crop from 

 the small ends was the largest and best. 



