The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-05-02
Assieplt"ral Department.
w. S. SHIELDS. EDITOR.
Improving Indian Corn.

Prof. W. J. Beal, of the Agricul
tural College, Lansing, Michigan
contributed the following to the
Scientific Farmer.
Quite likely every one knows that
the dust, or pollen borne on top oil
the stalk fertilizes the ovaries of the
young ear. A single. silky thread
run down to each rudimentary ker-
mel, I have before me, two ears oil
popcorn, which grew in the vicinity
of some sweet corn. A few of the
kernels are well intended at the end.
They are soft and somewhat sweet,
much resembling sweet-corn. This
Is the result Of a cross, shown the
first year in grain or fruit. 1t is a
very common occurrence, familiar to
almost every farmer. The pollen is
the male element OF the corn; the
silk and rudimentary kernel, is the
female. Our breeders of fine stock
are careful in the selection of the
males, as well as of the females.
They believe in good .pedigrees.
The day has gone by when the pig
is called the animal, and the corn,
the breed; implying that care and
feed is everything the selection of
the animal of no consequence. What
do we think of man who selects
the best calves. pigs and lambs from
the best mothers, paying no atten-
ton. whatever, to the selection Of
good male parents? He Is unwise
and behind the times
This is just what our very best
farmers are now doing with all their
seeds and plants. They select.
from field of corn, the largest and
fairest ears. In our fields there are
usually largs numbers of slender
stalks, bearing no ears or very small
ones. These stalks have tassels.
They scatter pollen, and are very
apt to scatter some on the ears of
the best stalks, which we may save
for seed. The different kernels on
the same ear may have twenty or
more different male parents, some
from good stalks and some from
poor. Now, theory and analogy, at
least, tell US if we wish to improve
our corn TO the greatest extent, we
must pay some attention to the pol
len used. Then, much better way
to get good seed-corn, would be to
plant piece by itself, on good soil,
giving the plants each plenty of
room and good culture. Before
shedding pollen, cut out entirely, or
remove the tassels of all the poorest
stalks. In this way, we should not
only select seeds from females, but
also from those fertilized by good
males. By carrying out this plan
for a series of years, we should most
likely, better ears and fewer nub-
bins. The size and quality would
be more uniformly good. Popular
opinion. IN many parts of the coun-
try, favors a change of seeds from
one farm, or from one country or
State, to another. To improve or
infuse new vigor into varieties, or
races l should more properly call
them, I propose, in case of Indian
corn and some other plants, to get
seeds from two places, remote from
each other, where they have grown
steadily for many years. These
seeds i intend to plant near each
other, where they have grown steadi:
ly for many years. These seeds
/ intend to plant near each 9TH
er, that they may be mixed. Since
preparing a lecture containing the
above proposed experiments, and
presenting the plan to my foreman,
l have seen, for the first time, re-
view of Mr.. DarWin's new work in
the Gardeners Chronicle, in which
is found the same idea. The adj
vantages of disqualification depend
on the ancestors of the parent plants
having been exposed to different con-
ditions, or from their having been in
tercrossed with individuals thus ex-
posed. The two stalks would then
interiors; with a thorough blending
of their whole organizations, and
with no loss of purity to the variety,
and this would yield far more favor
able results than a mere exchange
of Seeds"
The good results of such crossing
will last for several years, though
most apparent the first year. The
changing of seed from one kind of
soil to another, sometimes seems to
be Of great advantage, but just the
rules or laws which govern this
change, have not been discovered.
In a recent number of the Garden
er Jan. g., are given several tables
taken from Darwin's work, showing, |
with numerous plants, q remarkable
advantage in favor of intercrossing
stock raised for some years in differ
emf localities.