Dec. 1,1925 Size of Sweet-Corn Kernels and Evenness of Maturity 1049 
from the canning stage through all other stages down to the fresh 
silk. Two pickings were made in each plot. Nearly all of the corn 
was removed the first time from the plot planted with large kernels, 
but about half of the yield of the other two plots remained for the 
second picking. 
Table II. — Field performance of large and small kernels from the same bulk sample 
Plot 
Number 
of bearing 
stalks 
Percent¬ 
age of 
barren¬ 
ness 
Yield 
Average 
yield per 
plant 
Ungraded kernels__ __ _ 
2,775 
2,406 
3,019 
16 
Tons per 
acre 
2.40 
1.70 
Large kernels__ ____ 
8 
2.53 
2.14 
Small kernels____ 
25 
2.63 
1.60 
Table II gives a summary of the field performance of the three 
plots. The total stand varied with the size of the seed because 
the planter was unable to drop the small kernels as evenly as the 
larger ones. It will be noted that the percentage of barren and un¬ 
productive stalks was smallest among the large kernels, largest 
among the small ones, and intermediate in the plot of ungraded seed. 
The yield per acre was greatest in the plot planted with small kernels 
owing to the greater number of plants. The average yield per plant 
also varies with the size of the seed. The large kernels yielded 0.54 
pound per plant more than the small kernels and 0.44 pound more 
than the ungraded seed. The average yield for the ungraded seed 
was higher than that for the small seed because of the large kernels 
contained in it. Many of these kernels produced two ears, just as 
did those in the plot planted with large seed, a fact which tended to 
raise the average yield per stalk. 
PLANT-GROWTH MEASUREMENTS 
In order to obtain detailed information on the relative rate of 
growth of cornstalks from large and small kernels, the following data 
were carefully collected. Thirty representative stalks from both 
types of kernels were selected from a large number which were 
started in the greenhouse. These were transplanted to the field 
and records of growth were taken at weekly intervals throughout 
their development. The data consisted in height? of stalk, diameter 
of base, time of tasseling, time of shedding pollen, time of appearance 
of silk, time of arrival at full silk, time at which the ear reached the 
canning stage, yield of plant, size of ears, size of kernels, and number 
of tillers (suckers) for each type of plant. As many of these data as 
possible are presented in Figure 1, some are given in Table III, and 
the remainder are discussed in the following paragraphs. 
Figure 1 shows the rate of growth, time of tasseling, final height, 
period of pollen shedding, time at which the ears came into full silk, 
and time at which they reached the canning stage. It so happened 
that transplanting was done at the beginning of a droughty period, 
and as long as the drought continued the plants made little growth. 
