56 SOILS AND PLANT LIFE 



Conclusion. — It is clearly evident from our study of 

 parent plants that no two plants are exactly alike. The 

 fact that they do vary slightly or radically enables a person 

 to select specimens which approach the ideal. 



By the selection of seed, the sugar content of sugar 

 beets has been raised from twelve to more than eighteen 

 per cent. 



By the selection of seed in America, the length of the 

 lint on Egyptian cotton has been almost doubled within 

 three years. 



By selection of seed, the average number of rows on 

 an ear of com has been raised from about thirteen to 

 twenty. 



Moreover, by seed selection, the Com Belt has been 

 pushed northward almost to the Canadian line, notwith- 

 standing the original home of the corn plant was in south- 

 ern Mexico. 



Plants are improved and new varieties originated by 

 crossing one blossom with another. This is a delicate 

 and uncertain piece of work and requires the knowledge of 

 a specialist. Seed selection, on the other hand, is some- 

 thing that each one of us can do. 



In the foregoing exercise have been given twelve 

 characteristics of the corn plant, which are undesirable 

 and which we should seek to avoid. Go over them care- 

 fully and state which ones could be avoided with certainty 

 by the farmer who selected his seed from the wagon or 

 crib in November. 



41. Selecting Specimens for Corn Judging. — The com- 

 parison and judging of ears of corn will be left for our 

 lesson on that crop. Of course it is not enough that an 

 ear be borne on the right kind of stalk. It is necessary 

 that the ear, itself, and the kernels as well, possess certain 



