experiments in breeding sweet corn. 303 



Summary and Discussion oe Resuets. 



This report deals with a portion of the results of experiments 

 in breeding sweet corn extending over a period of three years. 

 The more important of these results and the conclusions drawn 

 from them may be summarily stated as follows : 



1. Two types of corn were dealt with in the experiments. 

 The history and characteristics of each of these are given. 

 They are both white in color, and differ chiefly in regard to 

 earhness of maturity and' fineness and depth of kernel. The 

 corn which is here designated as Type I is the superior variety 

 in regard to these characters. It approaches closer to the ideal 

 type of the corn packer than any corn grown in the State. 



2. Both of these types have been subjected to selection in 

 these experiments. The primary objects of the selection were 

 to improve the corn in respect to (a) earliness of maturity, (b) 

 yield, both of ears and stover, and (c) the general conformation 

 of the ear, especially with reference to shape and to the covering 

 of the tip with kernels. Earliness was regarded as the most 

 important point. 



3. The selection practiced was twofold. In the first place 

 desirable plants were selected in the field and then the ears har- 

 vested from these plants were subjected to a further selection 

 for size, conformation, etc. 



4. A marked gain in earliness was observed after the first 

 year's selection of the Type I corn. This gain was maintained 

 in the subsequent year in the same locality where the corn had 

 been grown in previous years. There is no evidence that there 

 was any further gain in earliness following a second year's 

 selection. This conclusion is still further borne out by the 

 experience of 1910 involving a third year's selection. A three 

 acre plot of Type I corn from seed selected for earliness is 

 glowing this year at Farmington and is, by a considerable 

 amount, earlier than any other sweet corn in the region. Yet, 

 making due allowance for differences in the seasons, it does not 

 appear to be relatively earlier than was the selected corn in the 

 ear-to-row tests in 1909 and 1908. In other words all the gain 

 which has been made in earliness was accomplished in the first 

 year's selection. No further increase has followed the further 

 selection practised in the two subsequent years. 



