202 FIELD CROPS FOR THE COTTON-BELT 



protein ear." Likewise the high-oil selection resulted in a 

 smaller type of ear than was produced in the low-oil strain. 

 In order to determine whether or not breeding for com- 

 position affects materially the productiveness of corn the 

 Illinois Station has taken, every year since the sixth gen- 

 eration, seed from each of the four breeding plots and 

 planted, it in the station variety test plots where it is 

 ''given conditions of soil and culture as imiform as pos- 

 sible for securing comparable results." The results of this 

 test are given below : 



Table 13. Showing Yields of "Illinois" Strains in Variety 

 Test Plots ^ 



Yeab 



High-pro- 

 tein 

 Strain" 



BU. PER A. 



Low-pro- 

 tein 

 Strain 

 Bd. per a. 



High-oil 



Strain 



Bu. per a. 



Low-oil 

 Strain 



Bu. FEB A. 



Standard Variety 

 Used as Check 



1903 

 1904 

 1905 



1906 



27.3 

 32.1 

 56.6 



65,1 



37.7 

 55.5 

 60.7 



73.2 



32.7 

 41.9 

 58.4 



66.3 



41.3 

 40.5 

 58.1 



83.2 



40.9 Boone Co. White 



53.7 " 



68.4 Silver Mine 



75.7 " 



87 . 9 Learning 



It will be noticed that the lowest yield has in every case 

 been produced by the high-protein corn and Smith of the 

 University of Illinois in discussing these results says: "It 

 seems a high-protein content and the highest productivity 

 do not go together." 



248. Objects of breeding for composition. — The 

 reasons for attempting to change the composition of corn 

 by breeding are briefly summarized as follows: 



(1) Protein is the most expensive animal nutrient. 

 Corn, because of its economical production is one of the 

 cheapest of American food stuffs. It is thought that stock 

 I III. Agr. Exp. Sta., Bui. 128, 1908. 



