ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 223 



extracting the oil from all the corn they use and are unable to supply the 

 market demand for corn oil. On the other hand, to these manufacturers, 

 protein is a cheap by-product and consequently they want less protein in 

 corn. 



Corn with a lower oil content is desired as a feed for bacon hogs, 

 especially for our export trade, very extensive and thorough investigations 

 conducted in Germany and Canada having proved conclusively that ordi- 

 nary corn contains too much oil for the production of the hard, firm bacon 

 which is demanded in the markets of Great Britain and Continental 

 Europe. 



The methods of corn breeding devised by the Illinois Experiment 

 Station and now used not only by us, but also by the Illinois Seed Corn. 

 Breeders' Association, and to some extent, by other Experiment Stations 

 and other corn breeders, have for their object the improvement of corn — 

 in yield and in quality. In the main the methods are now the same as we 

 have employed for the past six years, and they have given results which 

 enable us to assert with confidence that by these methods corn can be 

 improved in a very marked degree and for many different purposes. The 

 yield of corn can be increased, and the chemical composition of the kernel 

 can be changed as may be desired, either to increase or to decrease the 

 protein, the oil, or the starch. 



Following is a brief description of the methods of corn breeding 

 which we practice and which we have recommended to others. 



Physical Selection of Seed Corn. 



The most perfect ears obtainable of the variety of corn which it is 

 desired to breed should be selected. These ears should conform to the 

 desirable standards of this variety and should possess the principal prop- 

 erties which belong to perfect ears of corn, so far as they are known and 

 as completely as it is possible to secure them. These physical character- 

 istics and properties include the length, circumference, and shape of the 

 ear and of the cob; the number of rows of kernels and the number of 

 kernels in the row; the weight and color of the bran and of the cob; and 

 the size and shape of the kernels. In making this selection the breeder 



