B>ic RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1357 
RURALISMS 
The Eight-Rowed Flint Corn 
Which is in most demand among corn 
growers, the eight, 10 or 12-row flint corn, 
and why? I am intending to breed seed 
corn, and want to make a proper start. 
I found one finely developed 12-rowed ear 
in my field of Shefiield corn. Should I be 
able to reproduce this, would it be a 
previously unknown development? 
Hudson, Mass. h. n. K. 
A survey of the varieties of flint corn 
grown in Connecticut shows- that the 
eight-rowed flints are far more commonly 
grown than the 10 or 12-rowed varieties. 
Out of some 40 varieties of flint corn tested 
only three x)f these have, as a regular 
feature, more than eight rows. After the 
nuinbei’ of rows goes above eight the va¬ 
rieties are not constant for_ any definite 
number of rows, although in flint corn 
most of the ears will have 12 rows. Some 
will be found with 10 and some with 14 
or even more. 
In most eight-rowed varieties an occa¬ 
sional ear will be found having more 
rows. Saving seed from only such ears, 
if followed up for a number of years, 
will produce a type which comes true to 
this character, and which will produce 
very few or no eight?-row*ed ears. Such is 
known to be the history of one of the 
12-rowed varieties grown in Connecticut. 
A few 12-rowed ears were found in a 
variety of Longfellow. These were 
planted in a separate field and 12-rowed 
ears were selected each year for planting. 
Now, after eight or nine yeai’s of such 
selection, the variety is quite constant for 
the 12-rowed character, and produces very 
few eight-rowed ears. 
Although a striking change has been 
brought about in this way by selection, 
it is another question whether yield has 
also been increased. This variety has not 
been tested sufficiently as yet to say posi¬ 
tively whether it differs from the original 
Longfellow variety or not in yield. Other 
12-rowed varieties which have been tested 
show no superiority over eight-rowed va¬ 
rieties of similar period of growth. In 
fact these many-rowed varieties have cer¬ 
tain undesirable features. The cobs are 
large, making the corn slow in drying out 
in the Fall. Besides, the butts of the 
ears are large, making the ears hard to 
husk. 
There is no reason known why a 12- 
rowed flint should yield more than an 
eight-rowed variety, simply because of the 
difference in row number alone. The ears 
are larger in diameter, but the seeds are 
smaller and the proportion of seed to cob 
is less. Even if more grain is produced 
on an ear the variety may average not so 
many ears to a plant. Undoubtedly there 
are good and poor yielding 12-rowed va¬ 
rieties, just as there are good and poor 
eight-rowed varieties. Yield is too com¬ 
plex a quality to be directly associated 
with any single character of this kind. 
The 12-rowed corn proposition can be 
summed up fairly, I believe, in the follow¬ 
ing statements: 
1. Twelve-rowed varieties of flint corn 
are known and are preferred by some corn 
growers. 
2. A survey of the varieties grown in 
Connecticut shows that the eight-rowed 
flints are far more generally grown than 
varieties with a greater number of rows. 
3. The many-rowed varieties have cer¬ 
tain disadvantages in their larger cobs 
and stronger butts. 
4. There seems to be no clear reason 
whv 12-rowed varieties as a rule should 
outVield or underyield varieties with the 
more common eight-row number. 
D. fc’. JONES. 
Connecticut Experiment Station. 
Japanese Hop Vine a Pest 
I have never seen it stated anywhere 
that this vine can become a nuisance. 
Fifteen years ago I bought some seed of 
variegated Japanese hop. We were de¬ 
lighted the first and second years, the 
leaves were so beautiful and the plants 
covered an unsightly place. Since then, 
for 13 years, my neighbors and I hpe 
been fighting this pest. It is almost im¬ 
possible to get rid of it. The early plants 
come up as thick as grass and hoeing it 
out does no good, for it keeps coming up 
all Summer, and is all the more a nuis¬ 
ance in that it winds itself around mari¬ 
gold and other plants, even lettuce. When 
it gets larger the stems are so rough that 
they will take the skin from your hands 
like a nutmeg grater and cause them to 
smart and itch for hours. I generally 
pull stocking legs over my arms and wear 
gloves when I go on a hop-vine hunt. 
We live in New York City, with apart¬ 
ment houses all around. It must be terri¬ 
ble to get rid of in the country, where it 
has a chance to spread. 
This year I pulled up all I could in 
July, just before it usually goes to seed, 
but today, in November, it is just as bad 
as ever and has forced its way between 
the clapboards. It is a nuisance. 
New’ York City. dobbs. 
“You seem doubtful about woman suf¬ 
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I’m afraid that after they get the vote a 
whole lot of the women w’on’t care any 
more about voting than a w’hole lot of the 
men do.”—Washington Star. 
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saves several hours of time each week. 
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the farm. 
'So you SCO Delco^Light is a good investment. 
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height, without cable, 171 founds 
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BHODEIS DOUBLE CUT 
RHODES MFC. 
So. Division Ave., Grand Rapids, Michigan 
'jnE only 
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made that cuts 
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Write for 
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THEGEHUIHE 
SMITH 
STUMP PULLE 
W.Smith Grubber Co 
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I I HI !■ i 
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