412 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXVIII, No. 5 
DEVELOPMENT OF THE EAR 
To the grower and the canner alike information upon the development of the 
ear, and especially of the kernel of the corn, is of great practical interest and 
importance. The grower looks toward the financial returns for his crop, which 
is usually determined directly by the weight of corn produced, and the canner is 
desirous of obtaining the raw corn at the stage of maturity which will give the 
highest yields consistent with high quality. In the present work, therefore, an 
attempt was made to get some information upon this point which would in a meas¬ 
ure serve as a guide in regular practices. Accordingly, representative ears of 
known age were selected from each variety beginning 5 days after the first ap¬ 
pearance of silk and samples taken at age intervals of 5 days throughout the 
growing and maturing season. These were removed at once to the laboratory 
where weights were recorded upon the freshly plucked ears, the husked corn, 
cut-off kernels, cob, and husks. 
So far as possible the ears were dressed for weighing to conform to practical 
working conditions, weights being taken after excessively long ear stalks had 
been broken to normal length, etc. In removing the kernels for weighing great 
care was exercised to remove as nearly as possible the entire kernel without 
including any of the cob. For this purpose sharp pointed knives were employed 
and only one row of kernels cut at a time. In the case of very young corn the 
kernels were merely pushed or shelled out with the tip of the blade without cutting 
at all. The accompaying table shows the results obtained. 
Table I.— Showing the increase in size of ears and changes in the proportion of 
husk , cob, and cut corn during the development of different varieties of sweet corn 
Variety and stage of 
maturity in days 
Date 
tagged 
Number 
of ears 
taken 
Average 
weight 
of ear 
Percent 
of cut 
corn 
Percent 
of cob 
Percent 
of husk 
Average 
weight of 
husked 
ear 
Per cent 
of cut 
corn from 
husked 
ear 
Golden Bantam: 
5__.. 
1922 
July 8 
10 
gm. 
91.8 
7.8 
17.5 
74.6 
gm. 
23.3 
30.7 
to.. ___ 
July 7 
July 6 
15 
152.0 
12.2 
34.0 
53.7 
70.3 
26.3 
15.... 
11 
155.4 
25.9 
31.9 
42.1 
90.0 
44.7 
20.. 
...do_ 
9 
176.1 
27.4 
29.6 
42.9 
100.5 
48.0 
25.. 
July 7 
8 
187.5 
46.6 
21.0 
32.3 
126.9 
68.9 
30.. 
July 11 
July 12 
July 8 
July 12 
__.do. 
6 
194.1 
48.5 
21.8 
29.6 
136.6 
68.8 
Howling Mob: 
5. 
24 
137.5 
64.5 
48.9 
10. 
5 
284.0 
52.8 
134.0 
15__ 
11 
280.4 
23.9 
43.5 
32.5 
189.5 
35.4 
20—.... 
6 
275.8 
35.3 
33.2 
31.4 
189.1 
51.5 
25.. 
July 13 
July 18 
July 13 
6 
355.0 
39.2 
36.8 
23.9 
270.0 
51.5 
30___ 
5 
346.0 
45.3 
34.7 
19.9 
277.0 
56.6 
Dreer’s Golden Giant: 
5__ 
19 
140.0 
11.0 
23.5 
65.4 
48.4 
31.9 
10.__ 
July 10 
10 
240.5 
10.8 
34.9 
54.2 
110.2 
23.6 
15.. 
July 11 
July 13 
13 
251.1 
24.8 
39.6 
35.5 
161.9 
38.5 
20__ 
6 
278.3 
36.8 
35.0 
28.1 
200.0 
51.2 
25... 
July 17 
July 19 
July 12 
July 11 
6 
280.0 
41.9 
31.2 
26.8 
205.0 
57.3 
30... 
5 
338.0 
50.5 
26.9 
22.5 
262.0 
65.2 
Charlevoix: 
5 , 
24 
141.3 
79.3 
29.1 
10... 
11 
238.6 
16.0 
29.9 
54.0 
109.5 
34.8 
15.__ 
July 17 
10 
338.0 
28.5 
31.8 
39.6 
204.0 
47.3 
20.. 
July 14 
July 18 
July 15 
July 13 
July 11 
July 12 
July 14 
6 
339.1 
36.1 
33.1 
30.7 
235.0 
52.1 
25 ... 
7 
408.5 
46.6 
25.7 
27.6 
295.7 
64.4 
30__ 
6 
345.8 
49.8 
24.6 
25.5 
257.5 
66.9 
Crosby: 
5.. 
18 
113.0 
15.9 
21.6 
62.4 
42.5 
42.2 
10... 
6 
180.9 
22.4 
32.8 
44.7 
100.0 
40.6 
15__.. 
12 
192.9 
21.5 
42.6 
35.8 
123.7 
33.7 
20__ 
6 
255.0 
37.2 
29.4 
33.3 
170.0 
55.8 
25.. 
July 21 
July 19 
8 
212.5 
47.0 
31.2 
21.7 
166.2 
60.0 
30-.-___ 
4 
227.5 
47.8 
26.3 
25.8 
168.7 
64.4 
Morse’s Golden Cream: 
5.. 
July 14 
July 15 
24 
101.2 
11.4 
12.6 
75.9 
24.3 
47.6 
10.... 
15 
164.0 
16.5 
32.8 
50.6 
81.0 
33.4 
15.. 
July 12 
July 19 
10 
201.0 
25.6 
30.3 
44.0 
112.5 
45.7 
20... 
7 
257.1 
43.6 
22.2 
34.1 
169.2 
66.2 
25. 
July 22 
July 23 
8 
221.9 
48.4 
23.6 
27.9 
160.0 
67.1 
30... 
7 
216.5 
57.0 
26.1 
16.8 
180.0 
68.6 
