CHAPTER IV 



^itrrhtng mth d^bttton at &nh (Sismi 



/^I^ORN breeding has become a specialized indus- 

 III try. Like stock breeding, the development of 

 ^^^ corn varieties will always be more or less in 

 the hands of a comparatively few men who 

 devote their lives to this particular work. All great 

 progress will be made by those especially fitted for 

 work of this kind. As the field is broad and the 

 results profitable many will engage in the business of 

 seed corn production. 



The general farmer will never breed corn. He 

 must secure seed from the specialist and from this 

 source procure improved strains. Eventually on the 

 average farm the valuable characteristics will be lost 

 through mixing and careless selection. Then it will 

 be necessary to secure a supply of seed com from a 

 corn breeder. In such cases the farmer must secure 

 such strains of corn as are adapted to his conditions 

 of 'soil and climate. Otherwise the beneficial effect of 

 the special breeding may be lost. The live stock 

 breeder usually cannot afford to breed corn and will 

 depend for the most part on the com breeder for 

 his seed. 



The field for Ihis branch of farming is very great, 

 as is shown by the fact that the corn growers of 

 Illinois alone use over one million bushels of seed 

 every year. The com growers of the United States 

 use annually over fifteen million bushels of seed corn. 

 Of course, it is not necessary that this seed be secured 

 from the breeder fresh every year, but as a rule seed 



