86 CORN CROPS 



results have been secured with very diverse types, as the 

 tapering Learning, the cyhndrical Reid's Yellow Dent, 

 the shallow Hickory King, and the extremely deep- 

 grained Hackberry. Flint corns and the small-eared, 

 prolific corns have also given excellent results. 



Since several investigators have studied ear characters 

 in relation to yield, all data verify the experience of 

 Hartley, which he summarizes as follows : "A careful 

 tabulation of yields as compared with other ear characters, 

 covering six years' work with four varieties, embracing 

 in all more than 1000 ear-to-row tests of production, in- 

 dicates that no visible characters of apparently good seed 

 ears are indicative of high yielding power." Since white 

 men began corn culture, no doubt some gain has been 

 made in ability to yield, but the fact that large ears have 

 been selected will account for this. As the ear represents 

 the producing ability of a plant, all other things being 

 equal, the selection of large ears would preserve the most 

 productive strains. 



Varieties having a medium depth of grain mature 

 better and keep better in the crib than very deep-grained 

 types, and, since they seem to yield as well, they are to be 

 preferred. 



62. Type of plant. — ■ While some study has been given 

 to the character of plant, no definite relationship has been 

 proved, which would justify the consideration of the plant 

 in seed selection, other than this : the average type in an 

 acclimated variety will yield better than either extreme. 

 The average type, however, varies in different regions. 

 For example, on the west edge of the Corn Belt, with a 

 rainfall of 22 to 25 inches (central Nebraska, Kansas, and 

 vicinity), the plant when acclimated is short, stocky, 

 with the ear rather low. To select here for tall plants 



