Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-08-16
"Thoroughnred Seed Corn.n

Yes, that is just what we mean; the
thorough breeding of those cars of corn from
which we are to select our future seed so that
we may obtain pedigree" corn, in similar
manner as Mr.. Hallett of England obtained
his celebrated pedigree wheat'-and now is
just the moment when we should be think
ing of and prGcticing this Improvement 1t
is coming to be well understood by all intelli-
gent farmers, that the real improvement of
the corn crop so far as increased yield earli-
ness, and other desirable qualities in the grain
are concerned, must come first of all through
the seed-and afterwards through liberal ma
nuring and good cultivation. So far as the
former part of this work is concerned it is
important that it should be attended to now
in order that We may secure its benefits for
another seasons planting. 10 begin right,
1t would be well to have q small plat of corn
for seed planted by itself ON some portion of
the farm away from the general corn field,
in order that it could be properly handled
and improved; but as that is impossible this
season something can be done with selected
portion of the feld-say the outside rows on
portion of the field. 1t is well known that
the fertilization of the ears comes through the
pollen of the tassel falling upon the silk COW
ering the ears and one of the first steps
towards improvement is to see that the cars
are not fortified by the pollen from barren
stocks or from stalks that do not come up to
a good and complete standard. Go over that
portion of the fields you have set aside for
this purpose, and with n sharp knife cut OFF
the tassels from every barren or imperfect
stalk, and from every stalk not bearing two
or more ears, in order that only the best and
strongest stalks having the greatest number
of ears may fertilize the stalks from which
you design to save your future seed corn.
Then in autumn, before the corn is cut up, 90
over the field and select from the standing
corn the ears from which you are to plant
choosing the best ripened and most uniform
ears, growing on stalks producing the largest
number of ears each.
Such a course of breeding and selection
will in a few years produce great improve
ments i'll the character of the corn grown
upon the yield per acre, for it is possible to
produce breed" of corn that will give five
ears to each stalk, and this, theoretically at
least, will give n crop five times as large ms
the average crop now grown. The course of
improvement indicated not only gives seed
from good females, but also from those fer
tilted by good males-and in this union
comes n positive improvement having fixed
characteristics Starting with seed which
uniformly gives from four to five ears to the
stalk one can easily see how heavy munuring
and good cultivation will aid IN carrying on
the improvement Of this most important crop.
experimenting the first fundamental princi-
pie of "seed- breeders by furnishing the
conditions of producing uniformly heavy
yields With these three judiciousy used
by the careful farmer-aud what possibilities
does not Indian corn present, so far us heavy
crops of plump, early grain, to the acre, is
concerned? 1t is almost unlimited, and by
these means we doubt not that one hundred
bushels of shelled corn to the acre will be yet
regarded as a common yield. And how much