CORN JUDGING 59 



regular uniform size and shape. It is necessary for corn 

 judges to study tips of ears under different conditions in 

 order to gain a safe point of view from which they can 

 properly score the filling out of the tips. 



BUTTS OF EARS 



In the case of the butt the rows of kernels should ex- 

 tend in regular order over the butt and around the shank 

 or ear stalk. When the shank is removed in husking, a 

 regular depression should be left. If the kernels are not 

 filled out about the shank, the shank is usually developed 

 very large and strong. This interferes very seriously in 

 husking, as it is very difficult to break off some of the heavy 

 shanks. Not only is this true, but in such cases, the butt 

 of the cob not being fully filled over, there is a smaller 

 proportion of corn to cob. This filling out about the shank 

 can be carried too far, as many other single points may be 

 developed out of true proportion. In one of the standard 

 varieties it is not infrequent that the ears break off in the 

 fall before husking. In other words the shank is not large 

 enough or strong enough to support the weight of the ear. 

 Upon examination of such ears the butt will be found to be 

 so completely filled out that the shank has been dwarfed. 

 The shank has been bred so small that in a heavy wind the 

 swinging of the ear back and forth on the stalk breaks the 

 ear off from the shank at the butt. A large butt poorly 

 filled out is usually accompanied by a large cob. This cob 

 will usually be found to be very sappy at the time of har- 

 vest. This is a great detriment to the ear of corn, not only 

 in loss of grain, but from the fact that such ears are easily 

 affected by changes .of temperature. The cold weather 

 freezes the water in the cob and kernel, and thus expand^ 

 and bursts the cell walls in the germ. This may reduce 

 the vigor or destroy the life of the embryo plant. 



