The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-31
CORN CULTURE
CORN AS WE'LL AS ANIMALS
 IMPROVED BY SELECTION.
Advocated by the Government Samples and Ears of High Bred Corn on Exhibition in a To-
 cal Druggists Window.

Columbia. (S. C.), State.
 For years men have known that by breeding dogs and animals of other kinds new species could be developed in which only the faintest characteristics were pre- served. This mixture of species has also invaded the vegetable Kingdom and lately the breeding of corn has been introduced and experimented with with great suc- cess.
 Recently an article appeared in The Cosmopolitan Magazine for May describ- ing the process of breeding corn. The ar ticle, which goes into minute detail, was read by many. among them Dr. E. H. Cain of this city. who. being interested on the subject, wrote MT. A. D. ShameI. the author. and who is connected with the Illinois Experiment Station, asking him the cause of the decided change in three years in the character of corn car ried from this county to Berkeley. In reply a letter was received from the United States Department of Agriculture giving the scientific theory of the sub ject. At the same time several ears and samples of this highly bred corn were sent by the Government in the hope that interest in the subject of corn culture would be stimulated in this State. These ears and samples are now on exhibition in the window of W. c. McNIillan near The State office.
 The possibilities of corn culture have been until lately practically unknown to the average farmer, and little has been done since the time of the discovery of America. when the total area of the corn fields in the country would not today equal the output of one county in Illinois to the middle of the last century to in- crease the yield per acre or to improve the quality
 Pioneer Experimenters.
 Some few men experimented with the great American cereal, among them J. S. Leaning of Wilmington, O.. who cul- tivated by careful selection a yellow va riety called the Leaning" and which was generally adopted in the State in which he lived and also carried to Illi- nois. James Riley of Thorntown, a stock breeder, experimented with corn and pro- duced variety known as the Boone County White" It has now become the leading strain of white corn.
 This breeding is done by selecting seed for deep kernels, small cobs and well filled tips or butts for a number of years the change being uniform in the crop. This change is the result in the first place of variations due to the difference in soil and climate. the fertilization of the seed. cultivation or other causes connected with the growth of the plant. In the second place. the variation is fixed by selection or SeSuIuk tO De ueSlr- ed and the discarding of their regular types Seven breeds of corn are recog- nized, four of yellow. namely, Leaning" "Reid's Yellow Dent" Golden Eagle" and "Riley's Favor.te;" and three of white. Boone County White" Silver Mine" and Calico Variegated."
 From tests made at the Illinois College of Agriculture it has been definitely shown that the improved varieties of corn yield ed much more to the acre than that to which no care was given in cultivation Cases have also been shown among prac- tical farmers exemplifying this theory. One farmer in Central Illinois raised an increase of twenty-five bushels on each acre, which he had given attention to, and in another instance another agricultur- alist made total gain of 5000 bushels in 300 acres representing a cash value of about $4,OO0.
 The Associations.
 con breeders association has been formed in Illinois for the purpose of fur nishing we'll bred seed to the growers and to prevent the loss from poor seed sent out by the dealers. The Legislature of that State has appropriated $l0.O0O per annum for experimental work along the