EXPERIMENTS IN BREEDING SWEET CORN. 257 



In addition to the data provided for on the blank, records 

 were taken regarding the number of suckers associated with the 

 plant, the stover qualities of the plant (breadth of leaf, etc.) 

 and any other points thought likely to be of interest subsequent- 

 ly. About 400 individual plants were selected in the manner 

 described during the latter part of August and the first half 

 of September 1907. The general crop of Dennett corn (Type 

 I) at Farmington from which the bulk of the selections of that 

 type were made was hauled to the factory for canning Septem- 

 ber 12, 1907, and the next few days following. This corn was 

 planted May 18, 1907. The selected plants were allowed to 

 stand and ripen, and were harvested for seed September 26 and 

 27. But for bad weather the seed could have been harvested a 

 few days earlier. The selected seed of the Crosby varieties 

 (Type II) taken at Newport and Dexter was harvested Octo- 

 ber 9 and 10, 1907, respectively. The corn at Newport was 

 planted June 4, 1907, and that at Dexter* June 12, 1907. The 

 selected seed ears after harvesting were shipped by express to 

 Orono, and placed on racks in such way that no kernel on any 

 ear was in contact with anything but the air. These racks were 

 placed in the attic of the Station building and the corn was 

 dried at an average temperature of 65° to 75° with some circu- 

 lation of the air all the time. As will be seen from the germi- 

 nation figures in table i below, the seed was satisfactorily cured 

 in this way. 



Unfortunately, owing to a misunderstanding, a considerable 

 number of the selected plants in the Dennett plot at Farming- 

 ton were harvested and lost at the time the general crop was 

 cut for the factory. Through the kindness of Mr. J. H. Heath, 

 on whose farm this corn was raised, it was possible to replace 

 these lost ears by ears which he had himself selected for seed 

 in the same field. His selection, like ours, had been in consid- 

 erable degree on the basis of earliness. Of course, however, 

 it was not possible in the case of these ears to get any data 

 regarding the original plant on which they grew. 



After being thoroughly dried the ears were taken from the 

 racks and subjected to careful study to determine their avail- 



* The field selections at Newport were made on the farm of Mr. 

 Henry S. Thorne : those at Dexter on the farms of Mr. Fred O. Addi- 

 ton, and Mr. John Marsh. To all of these gentlemen we are indebted 

 for their hearty cooperation in this work. 



