TESTS OF COEN VARIETIES ON THE GKEAT PLAINS. 3 
the quality of the crop produced is usually poor, owing to earworm 
injury. 
In the most northern sections and in the high altitudes along the 
western border, the short season prevents the growing of any except 
very early varieties of corn, and these reach full maturity only in 
favorable years. 
ADAPTABILITY OF VARIETIES. 
Not much attention has been given to seed selection and improve- 
ment in this area. Established varieties are few, and seed shortages 
are frequently caused by crop failures. These conditions create a 
need for information as to what may be expected from different 
kinds of seed. 
The following descriptive list of varieties and results of trials re- 
ported calls attention to differences which have been found to exist 
between the varieties grown and indicates in a general way what may 
be expected from them in different localities. 
This list includes varieties which have been grown in at least two 
trials made by the Department of Agriculture in the Plains area. 
Many other varieties are adapted to and grown in this area. For 
various localities some of these may be superior to any varieties 
included in this list. 
A great variety of colors is found among dent, flint, and soft corns. 
Among flint corns white and yellow colors predominate, while among 
flour corns blue and mixed colors are of more frequent occurrence. 
Dent, flint, and soft varieties of corn are listed separately, and a 
brief introductory description is given of the importance and peculi- 
arities of each class. 
DENT VARIETIES. 
The dent corns are more extensively grown in the Plains area than 
are the flint and flour or soft corns. A considerable diversity of type 
exists between varieties, and within many so-called varieties almost 
as great diversity exists as between varieties. In dent corns, which 
have been grown in this section foi some time, there is a tendency 
toward flintiness or hardness of texture. Whether this is due to mix- 
ing with flint corns or to a natural effect of the adverse climatic con- 
ditions has not been determined. A greater tendency to sucker is 
also evident among these corns than among the dent corns of the corn- 
belt States. This is probably due both to the lack of selection to 
suppress the tendency and to the stimulus of favorable conditions in 
the early stages of growth. In much of this region the soils are fertile 
and usually in good physical condition in the spring. They are light 
enough in texture to warm up readily and usually contain sufficient 
and seldom an excess of moisture. These conditions favor a rapid 
early growth, which is usually accompanied by profuse suckering. 
