The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1904-06-18
Breeding Seed Corn.

In corn growing contest last year,
which was participated in by boys from
nearly every State in the Union, the differ
ence in the corn sent in was remarkable
From boys in New Hampshire, New York
and some other Eastern States came little
nubbins four TO six inches long, many of
them weighing less than quarter Of a
pound each 1t was evident that these
boys had never seen any Of the great corn
of the West. These are the growers who
should be more interested in breeding mp
seed than anyone else
J D. Funk, the pioneer corn breeder
Of Illinois, gives the experience Of many
years in this work in the following briet
paragraphs in the Chicago Record Herald
Breeding plots are situated in isolated
places. We plant 30 or 60 numbered ears
Of a certain variety, each ear in a single
row, which is also numbered Rows are
three and half feet apart and hills the
same distance, three kernels to hill Let
the scales determine 90 per cent of the
selection
As the time for the pollen to fly aP.
proaches inspect every stock aud detasse!
all that are weak and barren. You will
discard about out OF every 80 rows for
the following reasons.
The ear Is carried too high or too low
The plants succor abuormaly
They have deficient second roofing
system, consequently falling over. or the
stalk Is Of light constitution and broader
below the ear.
AT harvest time each row j. sbucked
separately and the corn weighed The
rows -iyiu. the highes; rate If production
are saved for breeding From each OF
these rows we select 10 or 20 ears for the
breeding plot the next year.
We have tested in the different yarie-
ties some !. 900 ears that bore no relation
to each other From all of these We hay,
found but two strains of corn that have
given uniformly high yieli year after
year.
The breeder must eliminate rs far a.
possible an experimental features ghat d,
not tend directly to- improvement If he
can attain normal uniformity Of growth and
placement ot ears At prcseat he must be
satisfied We plow aur coru as ~oou as We
can and Vlow 1t four or five times If it
j. a dry season we cultivate as late as the
last af July and the first uf Angus, We
disc erouud 10 ge, bed on top b"fo,,
breaking We have tired listing, bui
thought ia very much Ike raissu. corn in a
dead fuFrow However, this plan may
work well in other State. We plant about
tNo and half inches deep
Oar Yield Is aboui j. bushels per acre.
We tried 10 acres of hs last year that
had never been broken /; was around a
cattle shr,i and many thousand Of cattle
had been led over t. We drilled the corn
9 inches apart in the row-cyery Q inches
kcrnel-ihc rows p inches apart We
planted pumpkin seeds and clover We
narrowed Il onc.. We shocked the cayn
and it made i~u bushels 60 the acre The
highest average we have ever reached 20 4
,iu.le acre uf other ground is 100 bushels.
Our corn weighs 50 pounds 10 the bushel-
If sou waut o. cultivate deep. DO is AZ
the first cultivation, then the roots that
have started down and the tap reots Tot
ID Three kernels ta a bill and three iett
tx inches aTsu : the proper thing We
DO ngs believe in thinning, a. Il Is bound
to Do sou,e injury IL saves plant food
bus yoa are liable 60 make IN abrsssioa and
smut mi.h, appear