The Hillsborough recorder., 1877-05-30
IMPROVING INDIAN CoRs.

Quite likely every one knows that the
dust, Or pollen borne on opot the stals.
fertilizes tie o,aries ot the young ear A
single silky thread runs dcwn u each ru-
dnentary kernel. have before me. two
ears Of pop corn. which grew IN the yieini
of some sweet corn a few OF the kernels
are well indentel at the end. F6ey are
sott aud somewhat sweet. much Resembling
sweet carn. ft4r il the result of arrass.
shown the iirst year ii the grain of fruit
Ii Is very common occurrence. amiiiar
rs almost every farmer. The pollen is the
mae element Of the corn; the silk aud ru.
diinentary kernels. Is The frmals. Cor
breeders Ut nae stock are careful IN the
selection ot the males. as vel as Of the
females. They believe II. guod pedigrees.
What do We ttlnk oi man who selects tile
best calves pigs aud lambs, from the best
mothers. paying no attention, Whatever. 20
the selection Of good male parents! Ae is
unwise aud behind the times.
This is just what our very best farmers
are nov dang with all their seeds and
plants. They select. from deld of corn.
ihe largest ani iairest ears, Ii our ielis
there are usually large numbers Of slender
stalks. bearing no ears or very snail ones.
These stalks have lassels. They scatter
pollen. are very apt 70 scatter some on the
cars of the best stalks, which We may Saye
fJrseed. The ai5iertDt kerlels on the
same ear may have twenty % niore differ
ent male parents. s0me from good stalks
aud some from poor Now. theory and
analogy, af Ieast. tell is we wish to i'm
prove our corn to the greatest extent, We
must par some attention to the loilen used.
Then. a much better way &c get good corn,
would be 10 I,.ailt piece by itself. on good
soil. giving the p,suts each plenty OF room
aud good culture. Before'sneddlng pollen
cut out entirely. u remove tile tassels u
ali Tie poorest stalks. III this way, VIC
should not only select seeds from good
females. but also from those fertI.Esl by
good males. By carrying out tbs plan Tor
ssriGs OF years. We should, rnJst likely.
get better esrs and fever DObbibs. The
size aud quality would be more uniformly
good. Popular opiuion. il many PARTS y
Toe country. farUrs change 81 seeds from
one farm. Or from one country or State. u
anU,her. To improve or Infuse new ylgOI
into varieties. Or races l should more pro.
perly call them, propose, IN case of In
dian corn and some other plants. 10 gel
seeds from two places. remote from each
other. where thsy have grown steadily tUi
Inany years. Tbese seeds intend 10 piani
hear each other. that they may ba mixed
have Just seen. for the hrst time, re-
7ieE OF Mr. D5rRib's new work IN the Gar
dcner's Chronicle. 10 which is found H.,
same idea. :. lie advantages Of cross
fertilization depend Oh the ancestors oi tie
parent planfs having been exposed tvdiiier-
snt conditions. or from their having been
intercrossed with i0disidUals thus exposed
The two stalks would then inlercrOss witt
thorough blending of Their whuie organi-
ration, aud With 20 los Of purity 10 th,
variety. aud this would yield Tar NOR
favorable results than mere exchange o
seeds"
The good results Or such crossing vii
last Tor several years, though most appa
rent the 6r-t year. The changing 81 secs
from one kind u soil to another, sometime
seems 70 be Of great advantage. but jus
the rules Of laws which govern this change
have no. been discovered.
Ina recent number o. the Gardener
Jan. Glib. IRE given several tables takef
from Daraiu's work, showing. with nu
inerOas plants. remarkable advantage IL
favor of intercros.ing stock raisei Tor some
years 10 different localities. Prof W. j
Zeal. ~ Scientific Fdcaer.