INHERITANCE— IMPRO VEMENT B Y BREEDING 2 1 5 



yield. Discussions along this line have been almost wholly CHAP, 

 confined to characters of the ear. A careful tabulation of V- 

 yields as compared with other ear characters, covering six years' 

 work with four varieties, embracing in all more than 1,000 ear- 

 to-row tests of production, indicates that no visible characters 

 of apparently good seed-ears are indicative of high-yielding 

 power. It is reasonable to expect, however, that a careful 

 study of the entire plant in connection with its environment 

 will reveal such characters" {Hartley, 5). 



170. Desirable Stalks. — The stalk represents the individual 

 plant, and corresponds to the individual animal, the form and 

 size of which are so carefully selected by stock-breeders. 



For a grain-maize (i.e. apart from the question of ensilage), 

 a desirable stalk should have no suckers or off-shoots, should 

 have well-developed roots, be thick at the base and gradually 

 taper to the top, and bear a good ear ; this should be a little 

 below the middle point of the stem to reduce the danger of 

 blowing down in a strong wind. For the same reason the stalk 

 should not be too high ; even in the Low-veld of South Africa 

 it is doubtful whether a height of more than 8 feet is desirable. 



171. Desirable Leaves. — To produce the large amount of 

 starch which is stored in a full ear, a large leaf surface is 

 necessary; 14 to 16 blades is a good number, and, on well- 

 grown plants, the blade of the middle leaf should be from 4 

 inches to 6 inches across. 



172. Desirable Ears. — The shank of the ear should not 

 be more than 4 inches or 5 inches long ; individual plants pro- 

 duce shanks of 9 inches to 12 inches, which is an undesirable 

 character. 



An ear of cylindrical shape, well rounded at each end, gives 

 the largest percentage of grain to cob ; its grains are also more 

 uniform in shape. The number of rows should be uniform 

 and typical of the breed (8, 10, 12, etc.); the rows should be 

 straight and with little space between ; the grains should fit 

 together compactly and be firm on the cob, and should be 

 uniform in shape and length on all parts of the ear. 



It is sometimes suggested that it would be desirable to 

 save seed from plants bearing two or three ears, in order to 

 develop a more productive race. Experience shows, however, 

 that with most breeds it is preferable to grow one good ear 



