Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-05-16
Improving Indian Corn.

Improving Indian Germ.
Quite likely every one knows that the
dust, orpollen borne on top Of the stalk
fertilizes the ovaries Of the young ear.
A single, silky thread runs down to
each rudimentary kernel. I have be-
fore me, two ears of popcorn. A few
of the kernels are well indented at the
end. They are soft and somewhat
sweet, much resembling sweet corn.
Thisis the result Of a cross, shown the
first year in the 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 pedi-
grees. 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 ami
NAL of no consequence. What do we
think of a man who selects the best
calves, pigs and lambs from the best
mothers, paying no attention, whatever,
to the selection Of good male parents?
He is unwise and behind the times.
This just what our very best far
mers are now doing with all their seeds
and plants. They select, from field
ofcorn, the largest and fairest ears. In
our fields there are usually large num-
bers 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 diff
ferent 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 pollen used. Then, a
much better way to get good seed-corn,
would be to plant piece by itself, on
good soil, giving the plants each plenty
! ofroom and good culture. Before she'd
ding pollen, cut out entirely, OR remove
the tassels of all the poorest stalks. In
this way, we should not only select
seeds from good females, but also from
those fer,ilized by good males By
carrying out this plan for series Of
years, we should, most likely, get better
ears and fewer nubbins. The size and
quality would be more uniformly good.
Popular opinion, il many parts Of the
country, fayors change of seeds from
one country or State, to another. To
improve or infuse new vigor into varl-
cites. or rares I should more properly
call them, propose, in case of Indian
corn and some other plants, to get seeds
from two places, remote from each
other, where they have grown ,teadily
for many years. These seeds l intend
to plant near each other, that they may
be mixed. Since preparing lecture
containing the above proposed expert
ments, and presenting the plan to my
foreman, I have seen, for the first time,
a review of MIR. Darwin's new work in
the Gardeners Caroaicle, in which is
found the same idea. The advantages
of cross-fertilization depend on the
ancestors Of the parent plants having
been exposed to different conditions, Or
from their having been intercrossed
with individuals thus exposed. The
two stalks would then interiors; with
thorough blending Of their whole organ
izations, and with no loss of purity to
the variety, and this would yield far
more favorable results than mere
exchange of seeds"
The good results ofsueh crossing will
last for several years, though most ap-
parent the first year. The changing Of
seed from one kind OF soil to another,
sometimes seems to be Of great advan-
tage, but just the rules or laws which
goven this change, have not been dis
covered.-Scientifc Farmer.