314 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 191O. 



the tassels were not removed as second best. The two classes 

 should be harvested and cured separately. Seed from the detas- 

 seled rows will probably be found to yield better than that from 

 the others. 



3. Individual plant selection. Just as in the previous year the 

 best individual plants from both the breeding and propagation 

 plots should be marked with cloths and saved separately to fur- 

 nish seed for the following year's ear-to-row breeding plot. If 

 one desires he may breed a pedigree strain, by keeping the ears 

 from the selected individual plants of a particular row separate 

 by themselves. In this way the plants in such a strain will all 

 be descendants of the same original mother ear. 



C. Third and succeeding year's work. i. Breeding plot. 

 Plant on the ear-to-row system the individual ears selected 

 in the previous year. 



2. Propagation plot. Plant with seed from the best rows 

 obtained in the breeding plot (ear-to-row) of the preceding year. 

 In the propagation plot detassel every alternate row and dis- 

 tribute to the farmers the seed from the detasseled rows as best 

 seed, and that from the rows not detasseled as second best seed 

 (possibl}' at a slightly lower price). 



3. Individual plant selections. Make these each year to fur- 

 nish seed for the following year's breeding plot. 



In suggesting this plan for improving the sweet corn seed used 

 in the State the Station does not, of course, desire to force it on 

 anybody. It must depend upon the foresightedness and progres- 

 siveness of the packer and farmer to decide whether it (or 

 some similar plan having the same object in view) shall be 

 adopted. It can only be said that no prediction can be more 

 safely made than that the packer, and the farmers who grow 

 corn for him, who will consistently follow the plan for a period 

 of five years will be abundantly satisfied with the results in terms 

 of dollars and cents at the end of the period. The advice of the 

 Station Staff as to details in regard to breeding corn is, of 

 course, always available to any packer or grower who desires to 

 undertake such work. 



