CHAPTER XVIII. 



JUDGING CORN 



WHY JUDGE CORN? The highest and only purpose of the 

 judge is to give first ranking to that sample which in his estimation 

 will, if planted the next spring, produce more corn of better quality 

 than any other sample on exhibition. Furthermore, it should show 

 breeding, that its good qualities may be more surely perpetuated. A 

 true and thorough understanding of the ear of corn can only be ascer- 

 tained by practice in judging. The judge cannot do his duty until he 

 knows what to look for. 



The criticism at times has been very legitimately made, that in corn 

 shows the winning samples had been sometimes chosen too much 

 because of attractive appearance and fancy points, the essential points 

 being too often lost sight of. That is, over-valuation was laid on 

 filling of tips and butts, while size of ear, depth of kernel and ger- 

 minating power were ignored. The Agricultural Colleges have taken 

 up the task of training men to be proficient in placing awards. Often 

 these men have become somewhat stilted and impractical, but their 

 influence has aroused an enthusiasm in corn growing all through the 

 corn belt. 



For years, intelligent and progressive farmers selected their seed 

 corn according to ideas of their own. Corn breeders who established 

 the standard varieties of the present time, laid stress on certain points. 

 They knew a good ear of corn, but because of few occasions (corn 

 shows, etc.) for the expression of this knowledge it was not widely 

 disseminated. 



INTRODUCTION OF THE CORN SCORE CARD. As corn 

 growing and breeding became of more recognized importance and the 

 essential characteristics more thoroughly understood by interested 

 persons, the formulation of a definite scale of points became neces- 

 sary. *"In 1886, at the great corn exhibit at the Exposition at Chi- 

 cago, the five expert judges worked some days in preparing a scale 



•Indian Corn Culture, Plumb, Page 56. 



