







ODERN hybrids make possible bumper 
crops of corn on stalks strong enough to 
hold big, heavy ears without breaking or lodging. 
During the open pollinated era, farmers generally 
believed that higher yields must necessarily over- 
burden the stalks and would be accompanied by 
lodging and down corn. Now, Funk’s G-Hybrids 
are noted through all the Corn Belt for high 
yields plus standability. 
Corn stalks are composed principally of ma- 
terials made from glucose (simple corn sugar), 
as are the ears, leaves and roots. True, small 
amounts of minerals help form the living tissues, 
but the mature plant is practically a tower of 
glucose-formed products. ; 
Huge quantities of glucose must be made by 
corn plants. To produce 21% tons of crib corn, 
it is estimated a corn field must manufacture no 
less than 10 tons of glucose. 
Glucose is a compound of carbon, hydrogen 
and oxygen, produced in the presence of sunshine 
in the green corn leaves. If there is immediate 
need, it moves directly to feed the roots, stalk, 
leaves or ear. Otherwise, it is stored as starch in 
the stalk. If the plant needs more glucose than 
is being produced, this stored starch is converted 
back into glucose and moved to the part of the 
plant where there is a shortage. 
Through the years, Funk Corn Breeders have 
established two pertinent facts concerning 
development of good corn stalks: 
1. Inability, either through heredity or environmental handi- 
caps, fo produce goed ears and good stalks at the same 
time may be traced fo the corn plant's inability to many- 

A corn field, yes, but really one of the world’s chemical factories 
where the radiant energy of the sun is being captured and stored 
for future use. In the green leaves of this corn is being made the 
simple corn sugar or glucose that is necessary in large amounts to 
develop both ears and stalks. On these pages of the Funk’s G-Hybrid 
Corn Guide are explained the factors upon which fine stalk quality 
depends. Read this material carefully, for if will help you to analyze 
and solve the cornstalk problems that may arise on your own farm. 
Corn that stands up is something that 
every farmer wants. Yet as a group, 
farmers are not interested in sacrific- 
ing yield or any other important value 
in their corn crop to secure high quality 
stalks. They want fine stalk quality 
to be a “plus value”’ in their fields. 
Fully aware of this, the Funk Hybrid 
Corn Research Staff has devoted an 
important part of ifs energies over a 







period of many years to make it pos- 
Ser ee 
The stalk at the left had ample glucose to get strength for excellent 
standability. The other stalk was undernourished. Weakened, it 
was attacked by rot, which offen paves the way for stalk breakage. 
facture glucose enough to maintain a satisfactory supply 
during ear-forming and stalk-building periods. 
2. The ear gets first call on available glucose—and if there 
is a shortage, the plant may find itself unable to mature 
the stalk properly. 
Modern Funk’s G-Hybrids have the inherited 
capacity to manufacture ample glucose to build 
a large ear and a strong stalk. However, weather, 
insects, disease damage or shortage of plant food 
in the soil may curtail production of glucose — 
enough to complete both jobs. . 
