414 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXVin, No. 5 
The outstanding feature of this table is the illustration of the fact that for 
the ear as a whole there is a progressive gain in weight throughout the growing 
period; that as a rule the cob shows its highest percentage weight at about 15 
days from the first appearance of silks, after which it falls off; and that in general 
the kernels continue to increase in weight throughout the whole period, up to 
30 days of age. This last fact is of particular importance as showing that 
if the highest quality of canned corn is to be produced the proper maturity 
must be considered as of more importance than highest yield. 
It is indicated by these figures that under the conditions of the present experi¬ 
ment the heaviest yields of cut corn per ton of ears was produced by Country 
Gentleman and StowelTs Evergreen. Others which stood well from this stand¬ 
point were Morse's Golden Cream, Narrow Grained Evergreen, and Old Colony. 
Of the earlier corns, Crosby, Dreer’s Golden Giant, and Charlevoix gave fair 
cuts, though these were considerably below Country Gentleman. The produc¬ 
tion from few-rowed varieties and from those having a disproportionately large 
ear was low. 
Objection may be made to this table on the ground that too few ears were 
taken to make the figures truly representative of average conditions. The use 
of small numbers of ears was made necessary by the circumstances under which 
the work was done, but in the selection of ears for these tests an earnest endeavor 
was made to choose those ears which were truly representative of the whole and 
of the variety under study. While, therefore, slight irregularities may be noted 
in the progress of changes as indicated by these figures, it is believed that, taken 
as a whole, they give a fairly close approximation of actual average conditions. 
TOUGHNESS OF KERNEL 
Although flavor and consistency, or body, are important factors in determining 
the quality of canned corn, more and more it is coming to be realized that the 
tenderness or toughness of the kernel is of even greater importance. Immaturity 
is sometimes masked in the canned corn, in part at least, by the addition of 
starch, and too heavy consistency due to the use of overmature corn is often 
avoided by the use of a greater proportion of liquor; but general toughness 
can not be masked, and it is this more than anything else which unfavorably 
affects the quality of canned corn. This point has been emphasized by Burton 
(14 ), who states that “ commercial grades of canned Country Gentleman corn, 
as far as they are concerned by maturity, differ only in the proportion of tough 
and tender kernels present." 
Burton (14) undertook a study of the cause of increased toughness in over¬ 
mature corn and sought a practical means of determining maturity. He re¬ 
ported that the hull of Country Gentleman corn did not thicken with increasing 
maturity, but that it did lose progressively in moisture. The crude fiber figure 
for the hulls alone was found to be nearly constant at all maturities. The results 
of his experiments indicated that the specific gravity of the kernels afforded a 
means of differentiation of old from young corn. 
Remington (49) in his report of analyses of the canned product from Crosby, 
Country Gentleman, Evergreen, and Golden Bantam varieties recorded slight 
differences in the percentage of crude fiber in the varieties studied, and stated 
that in his experience the amount of fiber tended to increase with the maturity 
of the corn. From the data presented, however, it is impossible to judge of 
the amount of this tendency as the analyses were made of material secured from 
different sources and apparently without information as to the exact age of the 
corn when it was canned. 
During the last few years a number of workers have made use of mechanical 
appliances in studies upon the maturity of various fruits and vegetables, the 
idea being based upon the fact that with increasing maturity alterations in the 
tissues occur which affect their resistance to pressure or penetration. Thus 
Rosenbaum and Sando (52) made use of a modified Joly balance equipped with 
a puncturing needle in studying the resistance of tomatoes to penetration, and 
Lewis, Murneek, and Cate (37) and Murneek (43) employed a mechanical 
puncturing device to determine the ripeness of pears. Rudnick and Bakke (53) 
