The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-05-23

How Corn breeding Has Been Done
The Grain. Ear, Stalk and Leaf Devel-
oped at Wnl-Where the Farmers Bank
Account Comes in for Big Benefit.
The following paragraphs concerning
corn are taken from an article IN May
Cosmopolitan, written by A. D. Shamel,
Superintendent of the Illinois Experiment
Station:
Corn breeding is modification OF live
stock breeding, and follows the same gen
eral laws and principle. 1t is the apph-
cation of principles of plant and animal
breeding to the corn plant. The per cent,
of sugar in the sugar-beet has been IN
creased from three per cent. to sixteen
per cent. The ordinary beet was improved
by seed-selection, so that an enormous IN
dustry has been built up and new source
of sugar given to the world. This has
been done with plant which seeds once
in two years Corn produces crop every
year. a single seed producing return OF
over a thousand fold. From this great
number of offspring, varying in size, shape,
color and composition, a selection can be
made which viii develop any feature of
the seed or plant. By continued selection,
these valuable attributes can be fixed IN
the characteristics of the plant, and the
usefulness and Importance Of the crop IN
creased. To illustrate the point We
have been able by selecting ears having
long shanks, to increase the length Of the
shank nearly two feet in FIVE years selec-
ton. BY selecting ears with tall stalks,
we have been able to increase the height
of the stalk almost three feet in five years
By selecting ears from plants having wide
leaves. we have been able to increase the
average width of the leaf, and By selecting
ears from stalks having narrow leaves, We
have been able to decrease the width Of
the leaf.
CORN BREEDING FIELDS.
In breeding cern, small field USUALLY
an acre in size Is used The land i pre-
pared and the seed bed treated a. for the
ordinary field They are usually about
one hundred and twenty hills long and
thirty rows wide Each row Is planted
from separate ear. The barren stalks,
poor stalks and all undesirable stalks. such
as suckers, are removed before the taSSci
appears. The field Is projected or isolated,
- that no mixture can take place from
other varieties or from any source, la
the fall these rows are hu>ked separately,
and the seed fer the next year crop i
selected from the rows giving the highest
Yields per acre. Of best composition. with
the least barren stalks, and Of the best
type. In this way, the yield per acre Of
the variety Is increased, the quality i'm
proved and the type preserved and deyel-
oped. By this plan, We are able 70 give
personal attention and direct selection %
the individual stalk and ear, which would
be impossible IN a large held.
MARvELs oF CORN CULTURE,
Thousands Of practical instances could
be given to show the value Of improved
varieties Of corn. For instance, one
Southern Illinois farmer, mere progressive
than the rest, was induced to secure
enough improved seed To plant thrce hun
dred acres as a result Of his study Of corn
in the Illinois College of Agriculture.
These three hundred acres outyieldel all
Of the other field on his iaTm more than
thirty bushels per acre; and, 40 far a.
could be determined. the fields Of that EN-
tire section yielded about thirty bushels
per acre. This increase in yield meant a
total gain Of about nine thousand bushels
which represented a cash value oi about
four thousand dollars for that season. A.
this increase did not represent an increased
cost of production, the gain wa pure
profit. In another case a farmer in Cen
trail Illinois became interested in improved
seed corn, through the school Of corn judg-
ing 10 the Illinois Agricultural college
He secured enough SEED. grown by eoru-
breeder. to plant eighty acres A. re-
suit, he raised almost twenty ave bushels
more per acre on this field than where the
ordinary seed Wa planted. The next
wear over one thousand acrs- were planted
With improved seed and last year over
seven thousand acres If improved corn,
from the more carefully selected seed. wa@
grown on this farm Ia addition ,here
were thirty breeding fields land oui for the
purpose Of systematic aud scientific im
provement Of the varieties grown at ,hi-
place. la Northern Illinois the manager
Of large farm became Interested ~ the
benefits Of improved seed corn, wiih the
result that last year nearly three thousand
acre. Of improved corn were grown, aud
several breeding fields were established