tsS MAIZE 



CHAP. 1 1 6. Necessity for the Production of Pure Seed. — As a rule 



it is not desirable to export mixed grades of grain, such as 



• mixed yellows and whites, or dents and flints. The merchant 



may not object, because he can always sell cheap maize, but 



the farmer is always paid less on the ground of mixed quality. 



We can only avoid having mixed grain to sell, by growing 

 pure seed. To secure this we must plant pure seed and take 

 he necessary precautions to prevent it becoming crossed. 



It is also necessary to reduce to a minimum the percentage 

 of small and misshapen grains. This can be done only by 

 the use of well-bred seed, combined with good cultivation. 



If a herd of dairy cows contains some poor milkers, many 

 moderately good, and only a few very good ones, the yield of 

 milk and consequent profit are undoubtedly less than if all of 

 the herd were good milkers ; it costs as much to feed and look 

 after a poor milker as a good one; a wise dairyman therefore 

 weeds out the poor animals and buys or breeds better-class 

 stock. It is the same with farm crops ; investigations made 

 by the writer show that even the best maize crops are usually 

 very impure or heterozygous, containing many different 

 strains ; the analyses of these crops, some of which are sum- 

 marized in Tables XIX to XXIX, show that the different 

 strains of which each so-called breed is composed, vary greatly 

 in relative productiveness. This difference in yield power is 

 heritable. 



A plant which gives a poor yield occupies as much soil 

 surface as one which gives a heavy yield, so that it is a waste 

 both of time and of money to use seed of a poor-yielding 

 strain when we can grow something better. 



1 17. Other Desirable_ Points. — There are many other points 

 in which the maize crop may be improved. For example, 

 scientific maize-breeders have demonstrated that it is possible 

 to greatly change the average chemical composition of the 

 maize-grain in starch-content, protein-content, oil-content, 

 amount of horny endosperm, etc., to meet special trade require- 

 ments. By elaborate methods of selection and breeding, 

 immense improvements have been effected in the United 

 States, representing a monetary value of millions of dollars to 

 the producing States, and amply repaying what at the time ap- 

 peared to be very heavy expenditure for scientific investigation. 



