108 PRACTICAL CORN CULTURE 
are planted on the next round and so on until the plot is 
finished. As soon as a row is planted, it is well to tie the 
tag on the fence just back of the row. If the tags are 
substantial they will serve to mark the rows until the breed- 
ing plot has been cultivated the last time. After the corn 
is laid by, it is best to place numbered stakes at the end 
of each row. (See illustration.) For convenience, the two 
sacks to be planted on each return should be taken to the 
far end of the plot by the driver, placing them in his pocket 
as he starts each round. As soon as the breeding plot is 
finished, the planter boxes are filled with the regular seed 
of the same variety and the rest of the field is planted. 
Now we have a breeding plot in a large field of the same 
variety. It is surrounded on three sides with the same kind 
of corn, which prevents foreign pollenization. If the 100 
ears were carefully shelled and placed in candy sacks as 
suggested, it should not take more than five hours longer 
to plant this corn than if planted in the regular way. The 
breeding plot is cultivated at the same time as is the entire 
field; in fact, one would not know that the breeding plot 
existed if it were not for the tags at the end of the rows. 
To secure a uniform stand, it is well to thin down to two 
stalks to the hill after the corn has been plowed the first 
time. The ears will be larger with two stalks to the hill 
than with three. 
DETASSELING 
It is almost necessary to detassel alternate rows. If not 
detasseled, the corn in each row, being from a single ear, 
would otherwise be closely inbred. When the alternate rows 
are detasseled, the product of the detasseled rows only is 
used. It can readily be seen that by this method cross pollen- 
ization is insured. 
