Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-11-10
BREEDING CORN.
New Varieties Adapted to Certain
Conditions.

Among the most interesting PROPOSE
tons for the increasing of returns to
corn raisers is one that is being car
ried on in successful and practical
method by the Funk Brothers, Of
Bloomington, Ill.
These gentlemen are breeding cora
upon their large tract of land, con
sisting of $500 acres in one body
near that city. The idea which they
are putting into effect is to increase
the returns from their corn lands
both by increasing the yield and in
creasing the feeding value of their
corn. They are taking up this mat
ter of breeding corn. which was in
augurated at the Illinois experiment
station, and demonstrated to be both
practical and profitable by Profs. C.
G. Hopkins and A. r. Shamel BY
this system of breeding. which is in
effect seed selection, they are select
ing those strains of corn which show
the greatest yield, and have already
produced strain Of corn that out
yields the ordinary type to a consid-
cradle extent
The varieties Started with were
those recognized by the Illinois Seed
Corn Breeders Association, and which
have been bred for many years by
old and successful corn breeders.
For example: The Reds yellow
dent has been bred for almost fifty
years by the Reid family, formerly of
Delevan, H., and perhaps has its char
acteristics fixed to a greater degree
than any of the other varieties. Also
the Leaning is another variety which
was originated in 1926 by ]. S. Lean
ing, of Ohio. The Boone County
white is another variety of corn grown
upon these farms, and was originated
in Indiana by Mr.. Riley.
A complete chemical laboratory has
been established by this firm, in
which samples from many thousand
ears Of corn are analysed, and those
ears showing the greatest amount OF
oil, or protein, are planted in sepa-
rate breeding blocks, one ear being
planted to a single row, and these
single rows are harvested separately,
and from the corn raised from these
mother ears is selected by analysis
that which is highest and planted by
itself another year. These breeding
blocks are completely isolated from
any other corn, and are thus kept
pure.
1t is really remarkable that until
recently but little systematic or sci
entific effort has been put forth to i'm
prove the greatest staple crop and
money producer of the United States.
1t is now recognized that it is just
as practical to breed corn for certain
purposes and to increase its yield as
it is to breed horses for certain quail
tiles, either for drift, or speed, or to
breed cattle either for the dairy or
the block. In all instances this is
accomplished by selection, as the
fundamental principle of heredity is
that like begets like"
Another important feature in this
vi II DACCOlhS lIlelL tnSIG 10 d ldl 81
per cent. of barren stalks in the aver
age corn field. Under the Funk
Brothers system of breeding these
barren stalks are jetasselled before
any pollen is permitted to fertilize
the silks of fruitful stalks, and al
ready they have reduced the per cent.
Of barren stalks quite perceptibly.
The chief underlying principle of the
corn breeding operations of this COM
pany is to increase and fix the prepo-
tency OF the, various strains of corn
which they ere breeding-prepotency
meaning the power to transmit desir-
able characteristics to future genera
tons
Being situated in the heart of the
corn belt, with ample capital and land
to carry on their operations, and with
a trained corps of chemists and agri-
culturists, this company is inaugural
ing movement that will be of great
benefit to the corn raisers of the
world.-Chicago Record Herald.