232 NATURE STUDY AND AGRICULTURE 



one free from suckers; and one whose ear stem is not more 

 than four or five inches in length. The ear or ears should 

 not be too low or too high, but slightly below the middle 

 of the stalk and convenient in harvesting. There should 

 be no smut. The leaves should be well formed. 



Having made a study of suitable stalks, have the 

 children choose ears from similar stalks in their own fields. 

 Are all the ears on these stalks worth keeping ? What are 

 some of the qualities to look for in the ear ? It must be 

 understood that the most important character of any seed 

 corn is the power to reproduce abundantly, and that this 

 quality cannot be ascertained by examining the ear. How- 

 ever, there are a number of qualities that a good ear should 

 possess that may be determined by observation. It should 

 be well shaped, usually cylindrical, and well proportioned, 

 not long and slender, or short and stocky. The kernels 

 should all be of the same color and should not show any 

 mixing of varieties. The ears should be well matured, 

 sound and dry, not soft and flabby. The tip of the ear 

 should be well filled out; the cob round, not flattened at 

 the tip. The butt should be rounded with grains extending 

 well over the cob. There should not be wide spaces be- 

 tween the rows of kernels. The kernels should fit closely 

 together and should be of uniform length and shape. The 

 kernels should be long and the shape of a wedge, having 

 straight sides and edges. They should not be soft and 

 with chaffy tip caps. 



Have each pupil bring ten ears from home which have 

 been selected from desirable stalks. Place these on the 

 desk with tips all pointing one way. Examine and judge 

 according to the points given above. Add to these the 



