STUDY OF SEEDS 
13 
with an unusual amount of space around them. Prefer¬ 
ence should be given plants that have produced most 
heavily in competition with a full stand of less productive 
plants. 
“In all localities the inherent tendency of the plant to 
produce heavily of sound, dry, shelled corn is of most 
importance. 
“Late maturing plants with ears which are heavy be¬ 
cause of an excessive amount of sap should be ignored. 
Fig. 8.—A. Poor peanuts. 
B. Good peanuts. 
Sappiness greatly increases the harvest size and is likely 
to destroy the quality. 
“Short, thick stalks are preferable. Short stalks are 
not easily blown down and permit thicker planting. 
Thick stalks are not so easily broken down and in gen¬ 
eral are more productive than the slender ones. The 
tendency for corn to produce suckers is hereditary. Seed 
should generally be taken from stalks that have no 
suckers.” (U. S. Dept. Agri., Farmers Bui, 415: p. 5.) 
Improved Cotton.—In selecting seed cotton from the 
field it is desirable that it should be collected from plants 
