LOCATION OF BREE]:>ING BLOCIv 



461 



to plant in "increase bed," being very largely inbred, yet it is 

 desirable to keep a detailed record of their performances as 

 they are the sire rows in the breeding blocl<s. It will be 

 found that some of the breeding blocks are yielding much 

 higher than others, and in general the detasseled rows yield- 

 ing higher than the tasseled rows. From the ears produced on 

 —say two of the highest yielding breeding blocks (breeding blocks 

 Nos. 1 and 5, for example), select 25 to 30 of each. It is very likely 



that not more than 30 out of the 400 ears will be especially suitable. 

 The two sets of ears must not be mixed, but should be given a germi- 

 nation test, the strong ones then shelled and graded; in fact, prepared 

 in accordance with "Selection and Preparation of Seed Corn for 

 Planting." It will thus be seen that we now have two lots of — say 25 

 ears each; one lot, the best of the 400 from the detasseled rows in 

 breeding block No. i (from ear No. i, Avith ear No. 50 as sire) ; the 

 second lot, the best 25 ears from the detasseled rows in breeding block 

 No. 5 (from ear No. 10, with car No. 25 as sire). The "increase bed" 

 will now be planted, the following or third year, as follows : 



Location, Planting and Care. Select if possiljle another isolated 

 plot of three acres. The seed from one lot (taken from 

 breeding block No. i, selected from detasseled ear No. i 

 with ear No. 50 as sire), should be put in the planter box on one 

 side only; the seed from the second lot (taken from breeding block 

 No. 5, selected from detasseled ear No. 10, with ear No. 25 as sire), 

 should be put in the other planter box. The three-acre plot should 

 now be planted so that the ears representing seed from lot No. I and 

 Lot No. 2, respectively, shall be placed in alternate rows. This will 

 be the increase bed and should be cared for in respect to detasseling, 

 in exactly the same way as outlined under the heading "Mating Indi- 

 vidual Ears." In addition to this, all the weak stalks, barren stalks, 

 and suckers, should be cut out. While the increase bed is not a mat- 

 ing of individual ears, it is, however, mating the progeny of high 



