1911. 
1 .’J o 
Ruralisms 
VALUE OF FIRST GENERATION CORN 
HYBRIDS. 
Bulletin No. 191, Bureau of Plant 
Industry, U. S. Department of Agri¬ 
culture, calls attention to the great 
value of first-generation hybrids in field 
corn as a means of securing better yields 
than is common when dependence is 
made on seed selection from single va¬ 
rieties, no matter how highly pedigreed. 
The tendency of modern methods of 
corn breeding is largely toward close 
selection to secure uniformity of type, 
with the result that in-breeding is en¬ 
couraged to the extent of promoting 
self-sterility in well-fixed strains. Uni¬ 
form experience shows that first gen¬ 
eration hybrids or crosses of corn vari¬ 
eties are more vigorous and productive 
than either of the parent strains, the 
excess of productiveness often rising 
as high as 95 per cent over the best 
parent, but when attempts are madt to 
“fix” the hybrid by subsequent selection 
there is generally great falling off in 
this respect as well as marked reversion 
to one or the other of the parent type. 
To secure the advantages of the marked 
vigor of first-generation hybrids, which 
is believed to be of great commercial 
importance, it is recommended that 'the 
crossing found locally most effectual be 
repeated every year in. the seed plot, 
and that the product be used directly 
for planting the field crop without the 
delay of repeated selection fo establish 
a “pedigree” strain. Maize or Indian 
corn, of all agricultural plants, lends it¬ 
self most readily to breeding of this 
kind. It is only necessary to plant al¬ 
ternate rows of the chosen varieties in 
a seed plot, far removed from other 
corn plantings, and detassel every plant 
of one variety before its pollen is pro¬ 
duced. All the ears on the detasseled 
variety will have hybrid kernels that 
may be used next year for main crop 
seed, while the ears borne by the tasseled 
variety will have pure or line-bred seeds 
that may be used for the seed plot of 
succeeding years. By detasseling a dif¬ 
ferent variety in alternate years the 
parental strains may be kept pure and 
a constant output maintained of first 
generation hybrids for the yearly crop 
seed. This presupposes that the seed 
plot is sufficiently isolated greatly to 
reduce, the chances of foreign pollen be¬ 
ing carried in by wind from other, corn¬ 
fields. The seed plot experiment may be 
extended by planting a number of va¬ 
rieties in alternate rows with the kind 
selected for the male or tassel parent, 
and detasseling as before. The seeds 
borne will in every case be first genera¬ 
tion hybrids between the tassel and silk¬ 
bearing varieties and may be used to 
ascertain the best local combinations 
for field cropping. The main thing is 
to keep up a constant flow of primary 
or first generation hybrid seeds for field 
use to secure the excess vigor usual in 
such hybrids and to avoid the progres¬ 
sive decline in productiveness experi¬ 
ence has shown to be almost universal 
when plants naturally adapted to cross¬ 
pollination are closely inbred. Most 
high-bred strains of corn, particularly 
those developed by modern ear-to-row 
and score-card methods of selection, 
however excellent in themselves, soon 
develop weaknesses when- distributed, 
and at most appear adapted to exceed¬ 
ingly narrow local conditions. By using 
first generation crosses of such strains 
it is possible, in the opinion of Prof. G. 
M. Collins, writer of this bulletin, to 
infuse such vigor in the progeny that 
the full value of the selection may be 
brought out almost without regard to 
slight variations in local conditions. 
While the breeding of suitable first- 
generation hybrid corn seed, may, it is 
thought, be profitably carried on wher¬ 
ever corn is a preferred crop, the theory, 
if correct, offers to enterprising farmers 
and seedsmen a chance not only to im¬ 
prove their own local plantings, but to 
develop first-generation hybrid strains, 
to be maintained in annual integrity, of 
Prime commercial importance. In select¬ 
ing parents for this work it will be 
well to keep closely to a single type of 
kernel in order to secure reasonable uni¬ 
formity in the field or second-generation 
crop. Thus varieties having white, yel¬ 
low and other colored seed coats should 
not be bred together, nor should flint 
and dent sorts be mated unless yield 
alone is the feature sought for, regard¬ 
less of the appearance of the product. 
Bulletin No. 191 indicates a fascinating 
held for home research, and if its con¬ 
clusions hold good will go far to offset 
the debilitating effects of close line 
breeding in field corns. 
THE RURAL 
Best Sweet Cherries—Pears. 
H. L., Dutchess Co., K. i\— Will one of 
your authorities in small fruits inform me 
what he would consider to be the three 
best sweet cherries for family use (one 
variety black); the best two sour ones; 
the best two grapes; the best two plums; 
the best red raspberry and the best black¬ 
berry? Early bearing varieties are not de¬ 
sired, as 1 have observed that earliness 
is almost invariably at the expense of 
quality or something else that is desirable. 
Is the Comice a better commercial pear 
than the Clapp or Bartlett? 
Ans. —Of the sweet cherries the three 
that I would choose are Napoleon, 
Schmidt and Bing. The last two are 
black. Of the sour varieties Richmond 
and Montmorency are excellent. Of 
grapes none is better than Concord and 
Niagara for general use at home or 
anywhere else. Among the plums Lom¬ 
bard and Grand Duke are excellent, and 
ripen successively. One of the best of 
the red raspberries is London. Mer- 
sereau is a rather new blackberry, but 
has proved to be equal to any of the 
older ones and has none of the objec¬ 
tions that most of them have. Comice 
is a pear that has brought the very 
highest price in market, but it can 
hardly be said to be better for general 
market purposes than Bartlett, although 
it is better than Clapp in every way. 
Comice ripens about a month later than 
Bartlett. h. e. van deman. 
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Illustrations and specifications on request. 
—T HE HUBER— 
HANUFACTURINQ CO. 
646 CENTER STREET 
MARION, OHIO 
48 Million Shortage 
Government statistics show there were 48,000,000 bush¬ 
els less of potatoes grown in the United States last 
year than in 1900. This with Increasing population 
must necessarily make a larger demand for potatoes 
in 1911. No crop as a 
Money Maker 
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437 Sabin Street, Jackson, Michigan, U. S. A. 
World’s Oldest and Largest 31 alters of Potato Machinery. 
THE HAMILTON RESERVOIR 
ORCHARD 
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heating free. Tells yon how best to smudge 
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ENCOURAGE TH1 
iOYS 
r Boys wont encouragement— , 
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Box HU 
Grenlocb, N. J. 
NEW-VORKER 
Wiikx you write advertisers mention Tub 
It. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See guarantee page 16. 
EIGHT San Jose Scale 
B with Sherwin-Williams 
Lime-Sulfur Solution — 
and win ! 
Read what Wm. J. Moore, a 
Pennsylvania fruit grower, 
says about his orchard : 
Sherwin-Williams Co. 
Gentlemen : 
I have an apple orchard of 200 
trees and 25 or 30 plum trees. They 
were all very badly infested with San 
Jose Scale. Last March I sprayed 
my trees with your Lime-Sulfur So¬ 
lution and now in September you 
can still see the stuff on the bark of 
the trees, but there is no scale at all. 
The preparation is all that you can 
possibly claim for it. Some of my 
neighbors have been spraying with 
other material for four or five years 
and their trees are still dying. 
We did not know where to get a good 
insecticide and wrote to the 
• They recommended The Sherwin- 
Williams Co. as thoroughly reliable and I 
have found that they were right. 
Respectfully yours, 
Wm. J. Moore 
Sept. 10, TO. Analomink, Pa. 
The Sherwin-Williams Co. 
635 Canal Road 
Cleveland, 
Ohio 102 a 
Sent free, ''Spraying, a 
Profitable Investment." 
“ONE FOR AIL," No. 11 
v ocath to masers 4 ruNti 
Barren. 425 lh« nr- p,, |kl 
y, Rht. ?6C. IK. , _ .t 1 j a. 1 
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; 35 lbs-- I 0$ 
T O. ■. NEW YORK 
'Wool Grease, Arsenate of Lead, Lime-Sulphur 
VCombined. A Contact sod Poison Spray. 
\Afi Insecticide A Fungicide. 
Only' Thing Needed for ’ all Pests or * Fungus. 
WRITE FOR BOOKLET., 
MANHATTAN"OIL COMPANY 
Rst«bljih«d 1853. 
SllFront Street! New Mbrlk 
Compressed Air Sprayers 
TIME, LABOR, MONEY SAVERS 
W. H. Owen Sprayer Co., Sandusky, Ohio 
“KANT-KLOG 
SPRAYERS#; 
Something New 
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Flat or round, fine or coarse sprays 
from same nozzle. Ten styles. For - 
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Rochester Spray Pump Co. R ^ 5 B “ u-r^.T. 
Spraying 
Guid ' Free 
The Best Spray Pump 
Sprays the tallest fruit trees from the ground. 
Special nozzle for grape vines, shrubs, etc. 
Sprays quickest and best. Does the work in 
half the time and does it thoroughly. Always 
ready. Used with bucket, barrel or tank. 
Uasts a lifetime. No leathers to dry up, wear 
out, or make trouble. 
Standard Spray Pump 
Warranted for 5 Years. Price $4.00. 
It will not cost you a cent to try it. Our 
special offer gives complete details. Write 
for it today and we will also send our illus¬ 
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for itself many times over the first season. 
The Standard Stamping Co. 
94 Main Street Marysville, O. 
WELL 
DRILLING 
MACHINES 
Over 70 sizes and styles, for drilling either deep or 
veils in any kind of soil or rock. Mounted on 
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easily. Send for catalog. 
WILLIAMS BROS.. Ithaca. N. Y. 
Paten ted 
Oct. 6, 1908 
FRUIT GROWERS FAVORITE SAW 
IS THE MOST PRACTICAL TREE PRUNER EVER INVENTED 
Because it saves time and labor and is so easy to 
handle. It is made with a lfi-inch draw cut blade 
and has a 7 or 8 foot handle. 
Write today for Descriptive Circular and Prices. 
FRUIT GROWERS SAW COMPANY. Scottsville. New York. 
DON’T BE ROBBED 
Don’t let San Jose Scale rob you of your fruit crop 
this season. Spray with 
Good’s Potash Whale Oil Soap No. 3 
Kills all tree pests and fertilizes the soil. Contains noth¬ 
ing injurious to trees or plants. Keeps them clean and 
healthy. Used and indorsed by State Experiment Stations 
and U. g. Department of Agriculture 
60 lbs., $2.50; 100 lbs., $4.60; larger quantities proportion¬ 
ately less. Write for free booklet on Plant Diseases. 
JAMES GOOD, Original Maker, 945 N. Front St., Philadelphia 
DEFEND YOUR FRUIT TREES 
Prom San Jose Scale and fungus 
diseases with a Defender Sprayer. 
Powerful two-line spraying ap¬ 
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construction. Quickly attached 
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time, labor and fruit. Satisfac¬ 
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Descriptive circular and pri*e 
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C. S. HARDER, 
Box 75, CaUkill, N. Y. 
SPRAY ft op,edb 
pted by the N. Y. State Fruit Growers Ass. 
WILY. 4*AY YOU TO USE EITHER 
PASTE OR POWDERED 
FOR ALL LEAF EATING INSECTS 
RESPONSIBLE DISTRIBUTERS AND AGENTS WANTED 
KEY BRAND 
RIGHT PRI CE and MATERI AL 
^FUNGICIDE and INSECTICIDE 
-1 Ftmt ti 
INTERSTATE CHEMICAL CO. 
14 BAYVIEW AVE..JERS EY CITY. N.J. 
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rnn AY’“Empire KingT 1 
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US 
• -—------ 
is just as big and broad as YOU 
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Our Guarantee 
“SCALECIDE” 
applied to your fruit trees will absolutely kill SAN JOSE SCALE and all Fungous troubles ! 
oontrollable in the dormant season. Five years of proofs. 
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“Modem Methods of Harvesting, Grading, and Packing Apples.” 
B. G. PRATT COMPANY, Mtg. Chemists, SO CHURCH ST., NEW YORK CITY 
RHODES DOUBLE CUT 
■yHE only 
pruner 
made that cuts 
from both sides of 
the limb and does not 
bruise the bark. Made in 
all styles and sizes. Wc 
pay Express charges 
on all orders. 
Write for 
circular and 
prices 
