The Savannah morning news., 1903-04-20
Breeding Corn to Increase the Pro-
tein Content and Yield.


There are things happening and go
ing to happen in the corn world that
farmers in general cannot afford to
miss knowing about, says A. S. Nelson
in Farmers Review. There is more to
corn growing than planting and Guilt
waiting; and realizing this fact the
farmer who now does these things as
we'll as they can be done is turning
his attention toward breeding for more
gluten and increased; yield. Though
at present left in large part to the eX-
pertinent stations and seedsmen, corn
breeding is promising of large results
in the hands of the individual farmer.
Equipped with the necessary knowl-
edge, he can, in fact, do that for him
self which neither seedsmen nor sta
tion can do-he can breed corn more
nearly suited to his own conditions
than can those working in different
locality under different conditions. 1t
is the purpose of this article to give
corn breeding suggestions-to supply
at least a portion of the necessary
knowledge.
Breeding for More Gluten.-Beef and
pork producers everywhere have long
felt that the best results are not now
being obtained from corn fed as a sim
gle ration. heterogeneous foods sug-
gested to supplement the corn ration
have been tried with uniform success.
Clover, alfalfa, cowpeas, roots and
other foods containing a high percent
age of digestible protein offer one
solution to the balanced ration prob
lem. The other solution is the MAX
ing of corn a more nearly balanced ra-
ton. That the gluten or protein con-
tent may be satisfactorily increased,
the work of Prof. Hopkins, of the Uni
Versity of Illinois, shows. He has sue
ceeded in breeding corn showing 1872
per cent of protein from corn testing
only IL per cent. The improved corn
approac hes very closely the universally
accepted breeding standards of Wolf.
Large breeding successes, such as that
won by Prof. Hopkins, would seem to
make it unnecessary for the ordinary
farmer to make any effort toward the
Improvement of his corn. But corn
growing well at Champaign, ILL.,, will
rot necessarily grow with great sue
cess in other localities. Another prac-
tiCal matter to think of is the ability
of the Illinois station to supply seed
corn to all those wishing protein rich
grain. 1t is for the farmer to work
out, with the aid of the experiment
station. his own problems
To determine whether or not certain
corn is rich in protein, cut open the
kernel and compare the amounts of
dark colored gluten and whittier starch.
A. rough estimate can in this way be
made. Then select ears which by the
knife test show an unusually high per-
centage of protein, and send them to
the experiment station for accurate
analysis. The ears showing the high
est protein content-provided they are
in no case taken from plants which
produce ears of low protein percentage
should then be placed in separate
plots or rows away where there is lit
tie danger of fertilization by other
corn The plots. Seeds from the best
plants in the plots showing up best in
the protein test are planted the next
year. BY selecting each year seed
from distinguished specimens in plots
averaging highest in protein, good re-
suits may be obtained in a very few
seasons.
If the corn nursery is too much
trouble, breeding may be carried on
with some success, though slower. in