82 HE BOOK OF CORN 



rounded or ill-shaped kernels cause the development 

 of the space. It is indicative of poor breeding, and is 

 usually found in ears having but few rows of kernels. 

 These kernels are usually shallow and broad, and 

 rounded at the corners. Such ears always yield a com- 

 paratively small percentage of corn to cob. In mark- 

 ing space between rows it is good policy in order to 

 get uniformity to make all space less than one- sixteenth 

 inch one full point, between one-sixteenth and one- 

 eighth inch one-half point, and over one-eighth inch cut 

 a full point. 



Proportion — In determining the proportion of 

 corn to cob, it is the usual custom to pick up every 

 other ear, making a total of five «ars to be weighed. 

 After weighing, shell these ears carefully so as not to 

 break or injure cob. Then weigh the cobs. Subtract 

 from the weight of the five ears; this will give the 

 weight of shelled corn. Divide the weight of shelled 

 corn by the weight of the five ears, which will give the 

 percentage of shelled corn. 



After the individual samples have been shelled, it 

 is advisable to pick out the ten samples scoring the 

 highest, lay them side by side and carefully go over 

 them again in order to get a careful comparative study. 

 This will enable the judge to pick out the best sample 

 with confidence, and is always much safer than to trust 

 to the individual scoring. In fact, it is true that the 

 expert judge soon learns to do away with any hard 

 and fast lines in scoring corn. After getting the true 

 proportion of the different points, he can naturally 

 judge more successfully without the score card than 

 when bound down to any mathematical rules. 



