PART III 
THE SEED 
CHAPTER Ix 
SELECTING THE BEST EARS FOR SEED 
In selecting the best ears of corn, whether for display or 
general field planting, the object should be to choose those 
ears which will yield the greatest number of bushels of sound 
corn per acre. Of course, if one is selecting a ten-ear sample 
to display at some corn show or fair, one can afford to pay 
more attention to the fancy points of each individual ear 
than would be the case in selecting several bushels for general 
planting. Remember that depth of kernel, vitality, and ma- 
turity count for more in yield than do fancy tips and butts. 
A sample containing a few ears having shallow kernels and 
showing lack of maturity will never take a ribbon in a con- 
test where there is much competition, no matter how near per- 
fect the other qualities may be. 
FieLp SELECTION 
If seed corn is desired for a breeding or seed plot, it 
is a good plan to select it from the field after the first or 
second frost. In this way, the corn plant, as well as the ear, 
can be studied; but do not be in too much of a hurry. The 
natural place for corn to ripen is in the field and ears 
selected before they are properly ripened will have a ten- 
dency to become chaffy after they are dried. An ear that 
has matured well in the field will show a strong germ and will 
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