Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1837-03-29
PATENT OFrrcr, Jan. 80. 1887.


PATENT OFFICE, Jan. 80, 1887.
SIR-Hearing ofsome great improve
ments that have been made in the CON-.
mon corn, | addressed a note to Mr..
Baden, a highly respectable gentleman
In Maryland, to ascertain what facts |
could on the subject.
His letter is very interesting, and |
transmit a copy of it. This letter of
Mr.. Baden shows most clearly what
can be done to improve seeds, by care
fully selecting each year the best raj.
sed. Theoretical opinions sustain Mr..
Baden but few experiments have been
tried so successfully. What might be
effected for agriculture by similar Ell
forts!
The like efforts, in improving the
breed of ANIMALS, have been crowned
with great success, especially in Eu.
rope. / avail myself ofthis opportuni.
ty to send you a small sample of the
corr mentioned by Mr.. Baden. will
only add, that have conversed with
several persons who have planted the
"Baden" corn, and the concurrent o.
pinion of all sustains the statements
made in the letter. | have a few sam
Piles at the patent office, of corn raised
in this neighborhood, which has four
or five ears on a stalk and | expect
soon some stalks containing six, seven,
and eight ears. If this corn were gen.
orally introduced, how greatly might
the amount of bread stufls be increas-
ed, without any extra labor. / hope
some public spirited citizens will try to
improve wheat, oats, barley, and other
grains.
avail myself of the opportunity to
mention the introduction of Italian
spring wheat, with great success. A
friend of mine, in Connecticut, raised,
the last year, forty bushels on an acre.
This grain is heavy makes good flour,
yields well, and the crop avoids all dan:
ger of winter freezing. ! have order
ed a quantity of this corn and wheat to
be shipped to Indiana, and intend to try
both on the fine soil of the Wabash,
valley, the ensuing summer. | am
yours, respectfully.
HENRY l.. ELLSWORTH.
N. B. BE careful to plant this corn
in a place by itself. When good seed
is planted in a field with poor seed, the
former will degenerate. ii. l.. Z.
[Copy Of Mr.. Baden's Letter.
Mean ~NoTrINaHAM, Prince Georges County,
January, &c, 1887.
SIR-I received yours Of the 18th,
making inquiry respectingthe Mary
land Corn" which you understood ]
had raised. lhavethe pleasure to say
that | have brought this corr to u high
state of perfection, by carefully selec-
ting the best seed in the field for a long
course of years: having special refer
to those stalks which produce the
most ears. When the corn vas husk-
ed, | then made a re ,selection, taking
only hat which was fully ripe, having
a regard to the deepest and best color,
well as to the size of the cob. In
spring, before Smelling the corn, |
examined it again, and selected the
best in all respects. In shelling the |
corn, | omittedt to take heirregular kerr
nels at both the large and small ends. |
/ have carefully followed this mode of
selecting corr for twenty-five or twen-
ty.three years, and still continue to do
SO. When | first commenced it was
with the common kind of corn, for
there was none other in this part OF the
country. If any other person under.
took the same experiment, | did not
hear of it. do not believe others ever
exercised the patience to bring it to
present state of perfection. At
first, | was troubled to find stalks with
two good ears on them, perhaps
one good ear and one small one, or
one good ear and a "nubbin." 1t was
several years before ! could discover
much benefit resulting from my efforts;
however, at length the quality and the
quantity began to improve, and the
Improvement was then very rapid. At
present | do not pretend TO lay up any
seed, without it comes from stalks
which bear four, five, or six cars. |
have seen stalks bearing eight ears
One of my neighbors informed me that
he had a single stalk with ten perfect
ears on it, and hat he intended to send !
the same to the Museum at Baltimore.