MAIZE 



MAIZE 



421 



preventing full growth, especially of the ears. 

 The loss resulting from this one disease is esti- 

 mated as about two per cent of the corn crop of 

 the entire country. There is no known remedy 

 that is entirely satisfactory. [See page 414.] 



Insects. — In Virginia and other southern states, 

 the corn worm (Hdiothis armig'er) is a serious 

 pest and makes the growing of popcorn in some 

 sections an impossibility. Wireworms- and corn 

 root-worms sometimes affect the plant, but not 

 more seriously than they do the ordinary field 

 corn. [See pages 413, 414.] 



Marketing. 



Popcorn is marketed in many different ways. 

 The western grower usually raises it on contract 

 at so much per pound shelled, or sells the entire 

 crop to one of the several large dealers in the West 

 who supply the wants of the trade throughout the 

 country. In this case he ships it on the ear in 

 barrels or shelled in bags, or packed in one-pound 

 boxes for the retail grocer trade. At first the 

 small boxes were very popular, as there was no 

 waste for the grocer who had it on his shelves, 

 instead of in a basket on the fioor ; it was soon 

 learned, however, that it dried out too much in the 

 boxes and would not pop so well as when left on 

 the cob until wanted for popping. It seems that 

 there is always moisture enough in the cob to keep 

 the chit end of the kernel from becoming too dry 

 and hard. 



The eastern growers usually sell it to the gro- 

 cers in their near-by towns at about one dollar per 

 bushel of ears, and the grocers retail it out in 

 small lots at five to eight cents per pound. Some 

 of the larger growers ship their entire crop in 

 barrels to wholesale grocers and commission mer- 

 chants in the large cities, where it is sold on 

 account. 



Manufacture. 



The bulk of that which goes to the large cities 

 eventually finds its way to the confectionery 

 manufacturers, where it is made into sugared pop- 

 corn balls, popcorn squares, prize packages and 

 numerous other confections. There are several 

 manufacturers whose entire output consists of pop- 

 corn confections. These are generally a mixture 

 of popped corn and molasses, or sugar syrup, fia- 

 vored with one of the fruit syrups and pressed into 

 bricks or squares. Frequently the popped corn is 

 ground fine and mixed with freshly ground coco- 

 nut and sweetened with syrup, then pressed into 

 small cakes and sold under different names, such 

 as honey corn, fruit corncakes and the like. 



The Breeding of Maize. Figs. 644-648. 



By Cyril G. Hopkins. 



Corn improvement should embrace both quantity 

 and quality. But, because of the great importance 

 of increased yield per acre, all selection looking 

 toward improvement should be based first on 

 yield, this to be followed, so far as practicable, 

 with efforts which aim toward higher standards of 



quality. It is with these ideas that the following 

 methods for corn-breeding are arranged. 



Physical selection of seed corn. 



The most perfect ears obtainable of the variety 

 of corn which is to be bred should be selected. In 

 making the selection for desirable ears, as judged 

 from the physical characteristics, the larger the 

 number of ears examined the better can be the 

 selection. If the breeder wishes to improve the 

 quality (chemical composition) of the grain, as 

 well as the yield and type of his corn, it is recom- 

 mended that he choose at least 200 ears of the 

 desired physical type to be further examined as to 

 quality. 



Chemical selection by mechanical examination. 



The method of making a chemical selection of 

 ears of seed corn by a simple mechanical examina- 

 tion of the kernels is based on the fact that the 

 kernel of corn is not homogeneous in structure, but 

 consists of several distinct and readily observable 

 parts of markedly different chemical composition. 

 For our particular purpose of judging from the 

 structure of the kernel as to its composition, we 

 need consider but three principal parts, namely : 



(1) The darker colored and rather horny layer 

 lying next to the hull, principally in the edges and 

 toward the tip- end of the kernel. This part, while 



Fig. 644. Kernels of com. On the left, high-protein kernels 

 (much horny part, little white starch); on the right, lo-w> 

 protein kernels (little horny part, much -white starch). 



chiefly starch, is fairly rich in protein and con- 

 tains one-half to two-thirds of all the protein of 

 the kernel. (Fig. 644.) 



(2) The white starchy-appearing part occupying 

 the crown end of the kernel and usually also 

 immediately or partially surrounding the germ. 



