14 BULLETIISr 708. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



ADVANTAGES IN MARKET QUALITY. 



The price of corn is governed in part by its commercial grade. In 

 order to improve the grade of corn offered on the market, growers 

 are sometmies advised to cull the damaged ears. It is practicable to 

 cull only such as are extensively damaged. After culling, there may 

 be as much or more damaged corn remaining as was removed, because 

 it is scattered through a large percentage of the ears in the form of 

 discolored and worm-moldy kernels. It has been shown (Table VII) 

 that shuck protection reduces both of these kinds of damage. For 

 this reason it also makes possible a higher grade of corn than can 

 otherwise be secured. 



RELATION OF INCREASED SHUCK PROTECTION TO THE COST OF 



SHUCKING. 



There is a noticeable variation in the amount and kind of shucks 

 on corn grown m different sections of the United States. Whenever 

 unshucked corn is subjected to weevil attack, the ears with poor 

 shuck protection are more or less damaged and to that extent are 

 ehminated from the corn to be used for seed. This, then, leaves a 

 higher proportion of the sound corn on ears with good shuck protec- 

 tion. For this reason, the natural tendency, with other circum- 

 stances favorable, has been toward the use of seed from ears with 

 good shuck protection. So, as a general rule, varieties native to 

 weevil-infested sections have a heavier and longer shuck than those 

 native to sections without weevils. Notwithstanding the overpower- 

 ing influence of natural circumstances in weevil-infested sections and 

 its weaker influence in other sections, there has been a general tend^ 

 ency on the part of corn growers toward a lighter and shorter shuck. 

 The chief reason for this preference has been the desire to reduce the 

 amount of hand labor required to shuck the ears. 



In some varieties commonly grown in weevil-infested sections, 

 the shuck protection can be greatly improved without producmg 

 a greater amount of shuck. This can be done by improving the 

 shape of the present shucks by means of selection, having in view 

 longer and closer fitting coverings. Then, too, improved machinery 

 is now available which may be made to meet any objection to the 

 increased quantity of shuck that is necessary to protect the ears. 

 These machines are known as ' 'shuck shellers " and are now commonly 

 used by the larger grain and feed dealers in the South. Either the 

 shucked or unshucked ears, after having been broken from the stalks, 

 are handled by these machines. In the case of ears in the shucks, the 

 shelled grain, the cobs, and the shucks are separated. The shucks are 

 usually baled and sold for feed, but occasionally mattress and other 

 factories take a part of the outj)ut. Some of the companies have 

 received incpiries from paper manufacturers regarding the quantity 



