410 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXVIII, No. 6 
The methods followed in the collection of data upon the silking period in the 
present investigations made it possible to study this subject in a more compre¬ 
hensive manner than has been hitherto attempted, and inasmuch as these data 
show the relative earliness of the different sweet corns under study, the rate 
at which each of the test plots came into flower, the length of the silking periods 
for the different corns, to some extent also the relation of meteorological factors 
to the silking period, and various other factors, they have been arranged in 
graphic form in Figure 2 which is presented herewith. 
An error of minor importance in this chart exists with respect to relative 
earliness in the case of Golden Bantam, Crosby, Charlevoix, and Howling Mob 
which, as stated before, were planted on May 17, one week earlier than all the 
others. These graphs are based upon the actual dates of appearance of silks 
regardless of the date of planting; but Latta (36) has shown that in Indiana a 
difference of one week in planting at this season makes a difference of about 
5 days in the time of maturing, that planted earlier requiring longer to mature. 
The amount of correction to apply for this factor in the present case is impossible 
to determine accurately as no check was secured upon this point. The change 
in relative positions of these varieties would be small, in any case making them 
but one or possibly two days later than indicated on the graphs. 
It will be seen that even after taking into consideration the correction just 
mentioned, Golden Bantam was the earliest of all the varieties tested, the first 
silks appearing on July 3 and the maximum silking being reached just one week 
later. Howling Mob was earliest of the whites. It first showed silks on July 
8, and the high point of its silking period was* 5 days later. Vaughn’s Bantam 
Evergreen was the latest of the yellow varieties, its first silks appearing on July 
14. Maximum silking in this variety took place about 10 days later. The 
Evergreens and Country Gentleman were the latest of the whites. The latter 
which began silking one day later than Stowell’s Evergreen showed its first silks 
on July 21, and on July 28 the highest number were recorded. Both varieties 
of Dent Corn were later than any of the sweets, and Boone County White con¬ 
siderably so. It began silking on July 30 and reached its maximum about one 
week later. 
In the presentation of data later on in this report it will be shown that the 
rate at which a field of corn comes into flower and the length of the silking period 
make it possible to estimate with considerable accuracy when the corn will be 
ready for canning and how long the canning season for that field is likely to be. 
Of special interest therefore, are these figures as illustrating this point. For 
example, it will be seen by the figures for Golden Bantam and Howling Mob 
that these plots came into silk very rapidly and the periods during which abundant 
silking occurred were brief. This indicates that the bulk of these corns would 
come to edible or canning maturity during a few days only and the canning sea¬ 
son would be correspondingly short, which proved to be true. The figure for 
Potter’s Excelsior, on the other hand, shows that the period during which abun¬ 
dant ear formation was taking place was much longer, and indicates that ears 
for table and canning purposes could be secured over a considerable period of 
time, which likewise was found to be the case. 
A variety of factors may influence results of this sort and therefore too much 
importance should not be attached to a single set of experiments. The use of 
inferior seed, difference in cultural practices, meteorological conditions, and other 
factors may be responsible for certain variations in rate of silking and the length 
of the silking period, and it is possible that one or more of these were responsible 
for some of the irregularities showing in these graphs. 
Attention is called particularly to the depression in the figures for the dates 
of July 15 and 27, respectively. Reference to the chart on temperature and rain¬ 
fall will show that during the 24 hours preceding each of these dates there was 
a distinct drop in temperature, and in the case of the earlier date this fall in tem¬ 
perature was accompanied by heavy rainfall. 
