130 FIELD CROPS 



taining a large number of samples, it appears to be an almost 

 impossible task to pick out the best lots. The chief object 

 in the improvement of corn is to get a variety that will yield 

 the largest possible quantity of food products to the acre. 

 The work of the judge is simply to pick out the sample of 

 corn among those exhibited that, in his judgment, will 

 produce the best crop of corn if planted the following season. 



166. The Use of the Score Card. To become familiar 

 with the important points in an ear or other sample of corn, 

 one should make a careful study of a score card. There are 

 many different score cards in use. Nearly every state 

 agricultural college has a score card for corn, each differing 

 from those used by the other colleges. The difference is 

 due to the fact that some points seem to be of more value in 

 some sections of the country than in others. 



The object of the score card is simply to call the judge's 

 or the student's attention to the various points of importance 

 in the sample under consideration so that no point will be 

 overlooked. The relative values given these different points 

 are not so important as the fact that they all are considered 

 and that all of the corn in each class is judged on the same 

 basis. There are very few judges of experience who use the 

 score card. They have trained themselves until they are 

 able to observe and weigh the relative merits of the different 

 points of each sample of corn presented to them. 



167. Types of Score Cards. Two types of score cards 

 are presented here. The first is the one used by the Exten- 

 sion Division of the Iowa State College. It is a very practi- 

 cal score card for general use, as the four most important 

 points to consider in judging corn are so emphasized that one 

 can easily carry them in mind when judging. The other 

 score card submitted is the one used by the College of Agri- 

 culture of the University of Minnesota. This score card is 



