350 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 1, 1924 
Force of Tree Growth 
T HE picture at Fig. 125 is taken from the Scien¬ 
tific American of July 3, 1880. It shows the 
tremendous force of tree growth. The picture was 
engraved from an European photograph to show 
how the roots of a birch tree invaded a grave in 
a German churchyard and upset what was consid¬ 
ered a prophetic statement. The monument over 
tins grave was erected in 17S2. On its face was cut 
the following inscription: “This grave, which teas 
bought for all eternity , must never be opened.' 1 ' A 
chance birch seed, lodging in a crevice of the monu¬ 
ment, has displayed the irony of nature in slowly 
yet surely thwarting the desire of the person who 
designed it for a perpetual memorial. All the joints 
are separated, the strong iron clamps are broken, 
and the birch tree has embraced the upper large 
block, which weighs about one and a quarter tons, 
and the tree is driving its roots below, gradually but 
surely tilting the structure. 
The superstitious people who saw this common 
thing happen in the face of this solemn warning, 
could hardly be made to understand that it is merely 
due to the usual processes of nature. Most of us 
have seen instances of this sort—where mighty rocks 
have been split and great pieces thrown off the faces 
of cliff's by this tremendous force of tree growth. 
A Profitable Ohio Apple Orchard 
Pakt I 
tt'W'ES. we have some remarkably fine apples, lo- 
I cally grown,” the grocer remarked over the tel¬ 
ephone. He looked appreciatively at half a dozen bas¬ 
kets of York Imperiai, Baldwin and Spy which lay in 
Method of Double Crossing. Fig. 121 
Double-Cross Corn. Fig. 124 
Result of Crossing Two Inbred Strains. Fig. 120 
figures: Total value of all crops this year, $8,322,- 
095,000; value of the corn crop alone, $2,222,013,000. 
This shows that corn value is over $500,000,000 in 
excess of one-fourth of the total value of all crops. 
It is very evident then that if we can, without plant¬ 
ing another acre, or spending another dollar for fer¬ 
tilizer, increase the crop 5 or 10 bush¬ 
els per acre, it would be a big thing 
for the farmers of this country. From 
results obtained by expert breeders of 
corn it looks as though that gain 
might be achieved. 
SEED SELECTION.—The ordinary 
farmer goes into his corn-house and 
selects the biggest ears that are well 
filled out over the end and butt; then 
discarding the small kernels at top. 
and the ill-shaped ones at bottom of 
the cob, thinks he has some good seed 
corn. Rut he has given no thought as 
to what sort of a male germ cell fer¬ 
tilized the little germ down at the 
point of each kernel, and wonders why 
each year there are so many stalks 
that pi'oduce no ears, or only little 
nubbins. The i*eason is not far to 
seek; his big lxice ear might have been 
fertilized by the pollen from a barren 
stalk in the same hill, or by some small 
weak stalk a dozen hills away, carried 
by the wind. The influence of the 
male germ cell is exactly as important 
in breeding coni as in breeding cattle, 
poultry or any animal. 
HYBRIDIZING.—I nbreedingof 
corn, while it certainly fixes the type, as to color, size 
of stalk and other factors, also results in a diminui- 
tion of vigor. The result of crossing two strains of 
corn is a surprising increase of size and vigor in the 
first cross. Fig. 122 shows the result of seven 
years’ inbreeding, as compared with the original type 
grown alongside it. Fig. 120 shows the remark¬ 
able increase in size and vigor when two inbred 
strains ai’e crossed. The cross seems to eliminate all 
the poor qualities of each parent and increase the 
good qualities, but it is only for the first cross; the 
hybrid will not breed true. In Fig. 123 the gain in 
size by crossing two strains of dwarfs, is more 
clearly seen. Fig. 121 shows a method of double 
crossing. Two strains of white corn are crossed, and 
two of red, then the resulting seed is ci’ossed, and 
the greatly increased production is shown at the bot¬ 
tom. Fig. 124 shows a double-crossed corn, derived 
fronx Burr’s White Dent and the yellow Learn¬ 
ing. Nearly a hxindred years ago, 1825, James Learn¬ 
ing of Wilmington, Ohio, produced this corn which 
still bears his name. Prof. I). F. Jones of the Con- 
necticut Agricultxxral Experiment Station, who fur- 
lxishes these illustrations, says this double-cross Burr- 
Learning corn, now grown commercially by Mi*. Geo. 
S. Carter of Clinton, Conn., has outyielded every 
other variety in five years’ trials at the Connecticut 
Station, and many other trials as far south as Penn¬ 
sylvania and West to Minnesota. Also at the Ohio 
Agricultural Station (Columbus) it outyielded all 
varieties for two years. 
GROWING THE SEED.—In growing this corn for 
seed only one row in three is allowed to bear tassels. 
The tassels on the other two rows are cut off before 
the pollen is ripe, also the tassels from any weak 
specimen in the pollinating row, so that every ker- 
nel of corn is sired by a vigorous male germ. Now 
the gist of all this is that any farmer who will take 
the trouble to detassel two rows out of every .three; 
also the poor stalks ixf tasseled row. can breed his 
own seed corn, and be sure of an increased yield. 
But of course *tlie seed plot must be far enough from 
other corn so that the wind will not carry, the pollen 
dust. And he need not fear that there will not be 
enough pollen, for nature furnishes that with a lav- 
Ilesult of Seven Years of Inbreeding. Fig. 122 
ishness that is astounding. In each one of the little 
sacs on the tassel there are 2,000 to 2,500 germ cells, 
and there are hundreds of the sacs. One vigorous 
stalk produces pollen enough to fertilize a hundred 
ears. 
AN EXAMPLE OF BREEDING.—Wliat can be 
done with corn was shown on the farm of Leonard 
II. Healey, now, and for the past 16 years, the effi¬ 
cient secretary of the Connecticut State Board of 
Agriculture, where he raised corn IS feet high, and 
his hired man told him he had measured stalks 
that were 20 ft. long. The variety was the Eureka, 
grown principally for silage. Quite a contrast to my 
little Golden Bantam sweet corn, inbred for 10 years, 
stalks 4 to 5 ft. high! Rut it shows what man can 
do with corn. geo. a. cosgrove. 
Center Stalks Show Hybrid Vigor. Fig. 123 
a row on the floor at the side of the coxxixtei*. This 
grocer and a number of otliei*s in the city of Con- 
neaut are served in a wholesale way from the or- 
chards of M. A. Ring, of Ashtabula County, Ohio. 
Today the farmer, the fruit grower or dairyman is 
analyzing his market, axxd fi*om his con¬ 
clusions is basing his future, farm exx- 
terprise. 
One hundred and fifty acres in oiv 
chard, a demand in his own home town, 
in nearby towns, and a large demand 
right at the orchard at picking time, 
is evidence of what the fruit gx*ower 
with a quality product, placed in the 
hands of his consumer in a businesslike 
way, can do. Mi*. Ring receives a good 
measure of the consumer’s dollai*, and 
he recognizes the fact that the local 
merchant cannot stock heavily with 
fruit; consequently he makes daily de¬ 
liveries to his home town about four 
miles distant. One merchant may take 
two bushels, another three or four, an¬ 
other more, but up this way the local 
dealer is kept supplied, and the local 
product is in favoi*. Mi*. Ring has his 
own storage of large capacity, and he 
declares that in this way he can hold 
the local ti*ade, and by keeping his 
fruit and supplying the city demand he 
can get nearly double the price which 
he would have received had he sold the 
apples at picking time. Each apple is 
guaranteed, and one need only step to 
the telephone and Mi*. Ring would adjust any com¬ 
plaints. However, his guarantee is unrtecessary, as 
each apple goes through his hands or the hands of 
reliable help before it is placed on his truck for 
delivery. This quality has made the name Ring 
