FUNKS HYBRID CORN IS KING 
Corn is King and even though the price foundation of the 
corn empire rises and falls the throne of high yield per 
acre is economically sound and will continue to be the 
reigning monarch of all corn producers. We firmly believe 
that Funks Hybrid corn is the best means at the disposal 
of the corn producer today in attaining higher acre yield. 
Hybrid corn has very definitely passed the trial or experi¬ 
mental stage. Hybrids are available for the corn pro¬ 
ducer of most all localities. The thinking, forward-looking 
farmers are going to be quick to grasp the opportunity of 
producing more bushels per unit of area, thereby increasing 
their income due to lower production cost. 
Open-pollinated corn is made up of a variety of types. This 
is why it is possible to vary the type, maturity, height of 
ear and other characteristics within certain limits by selec¬ 
tion. This is also a reason why corn is such an interesting 
crop with which to work. 
Each kernel of corn is the result of the fertilization of an 
egg at the base of the silk by a sperm which is carried by 
the pollen. The stalk bearing the ear is the female parent 
and the one supplying the pollen (tassel) is the male parent. 
It is readily seen that a kernel of corn may have the same 
plant for both parents or may have different plants for each 
parent. 
CORN A MIXED POPULATION 
In the corn field pollen is carried from the tassel by air 
currents and wind. It floats through the air and may come 
into contact with a receptive silk. This, in addition to the 
fact that a single corn plant does not always silk and 
tassel at the same time, is why it is more generally the case 
that a foreign plant supplies pollen for the kernels on a 
particular ear. It would be possible for each of the thou¬ 
sand or more kernels on an ear of corn to have a different 
male parent. 
Selecting a seed ear from a good plant is, therefore, a 
process of judging only the female parent. The pollen or 
male parent may represent various other plants, some good, 
some fair and some decidedly inferior. While it is possible 
to make improvement in corn by selection alone it is mani¬ 
festly impossible to make the greatest grain. In any breed¬ 
ing program (plant or animal) rapid and permanent im¬ 
provement results only when both parents may be judged 
and evaluated. 
The Pure Line Method of Corn Improvement makes pos¬ 
sible the accurate evaluating of both female and male par¬ 
ent because, instead of promiscuous, random pollination, 
very carefully controlled pollination is practiced with both 
parents definitely known. 
Men Detasselling Corn on Funk Farms. All tassels are 
removed from female parent or seed producing rows before 
any pollen is shed. Another strain in field supplies pollen. 
Seed is taken only from detasselled rows. 
