CHAPTER V 



(Ham Judging 



AArORN judging is a matter of comparative rather 

 I Jj J than individual study. Varieties must be 

 ^J' judged by variety, rather than by general 

 standards. The valuable points in one variety 

 may be detrimental in some other variety. For 

 instance, Boone County White has medium to long 

 ears, while the ideal ear of Silver Mine is not so 

 long. Boone County White is a medium to late 

 maturing corn, and Silver Mine is an early variety. 

 If Silver Mine ears were as long as Boone County 

 White the period of maturity would be lengthened. 

 This is undesirable. Golden Eagle has a very long 

 kernel, with an exceptionally deep indentation, which 

 is undesirable in a variety like Reid's Yellow Dent. 



Variety Type Must Be Considered — These pecu- 

 liar variety characteristics can be changed in any vari- 

 ety by careful breeding, but it is advisable to develop 

 rather than to change them, as they usually are partic- 

 ularly adapted to conditions of soil or climate. In 

 developing milch cattle it is the object of the breeder 

 to develop the milk-giving quality of his particular 

 strain, so in breeding corn it is the object of the 

 breeder to develop some particular characteristic. In 

 doing this, however, the breeder must keep in mind 

 certain general characteristics of corn in order thit 

 the variety be not weakened in certain other general 

 points. 



For instance, in breeding cattle, the Dutch Belted 

 strain was bred with the idea of preserving the white 

 belt, and if a calf was born without this feature it was 



