The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-04-15

by giving particular attention to the wedding
out of barren stalks and other undesirable
types in his seed fields, succeeded in produc
ing a type of improved corn, which he called
the Boone County White. This type was
determined upon about 1875, and by continued
| selection from year to year it has been im-
proved, until at the present time 1t is the most
popular variety Of white corn grown in Indiana
and Illinois, At the Illinois station, the
variety out yielded all other varieties Of white
corn in the comparative tests
The fact of the matter is, that careful breed,
| ing and selection result in more profitable
types of corn. The vauabl lie results from i'm
| proved breeds of live stock have increased the
wealth Oft the American farmer millions of dol.
| lars The results from improved breeds of
corn indicate that we may obtain equally valn-
able results from highly bred varieties OF corn.
Barren Stalks i'm Fields.
b. careful counts made in various counties
in Illions, for the last three years it was found
by the farmers that almost one third of the
stalks in the field were barren. These barren
stalks are weeds of little or value to the
farmer They probably take nearly as much
fertility from the soil as the stalks hearing
ears, and they cost as much to grow as the
fertile stalks. Oh the 1871 farms of the Sbley
estate, Ford county, Illinois. it was found that
nearly 80 per cent. of the stalks were barren
On this estate, especial attention has been
given to seed selection, and the probabilities
are that the corn on these farms is more free
from this condition than on the average farm.
BY looking over the corn in the cribs in any
of the corn sections of the United States. a
very small proportion of uniform perfect ears
are found. The majority are very weak in
some particular, as in shape of ear, filling out
at butts and tips, depth and shape of kernel,
purity Of color and other points. That the
average quality of corn is very poor is shown
by the average yield per acre. The average
yield per acre in the great corn States, accord
ing to government statistics, is about 80
bushels per acre. lfevery stalk in hill pro
dnced well developed ear. at the average
width of planting. feet & inches by 3 feet
6 inches, with only two stalks in hill, the
yield would be about 100 bushels per acre.
As matter of fact, the average number of
stalks per hill is more than two. How can
we account then, for the difference between
100 bushels per acre and the actual yield of
about so bushels per acre? This difference
must be due to the fact that every stalks does
not produce an ear and that the majority of
the ears that are produced do not become
well developed ears.
Corn Breeders. Organizations.
In view of these facts, few extensive corn
growers organized the Illinois Seed Corn
Breeders Association in 1900. The object of
this organization is to Systematically improve,
through cooperation with the State Expert
ment Station, the breeds OF corn in this State.
Results From Improved Seed Corn.
As a result of the work of the breeders of
this association. improved and carefully Sc
lected seed has been sent to the farmers of
various sections of the corn belt. TO show
the results from such work, few instances
will be cited in the following discussion.
A corn grower of Mclean county, becom.
ing interested in improved seed, secured
enough well bred seed to plant eighty acres
In this body of land there are about 10000
acres devoted to corn. On this field the yield
per acre was within one.half of twenty three
bushels more per acre than in any of the other
fields of the farm. This corn grower has Sc
cured enough well-bred seed for the coming
season to plant the entire corn land on the
farm. The total increase in 1902, due to good
seed has been estimated at 10000 bushels.
In southern Illinois another farmer secured
enough improved seed 10 plant l2O acres.
This field yielded Is bushels per acre more
than any other field on the farm or in the vi
cinity where the yield was obtained This
farmer paid $40 for the seed, and figures that
the net profit from the investment was $40,
all of which was the result of planting i'm.
proved seed corn.
Standard Varieties of Corn.
AT present there are seven recognized vari.
eties OF corn, (white) Boone County White,
Silver Mine, and White Superior; and (yel-
low Leaning, Riley's Favorite, Reid's Yei-
low Dent, and Golden Eagle. The varieties
will doubtless be added to in the near future
as the types are grown under different condi-
lions of soil and climate
Methods of Corn Breeding.
The system of breeding is as follows: The
variety must be kept pure and free from all
mixture. This is n difficult problem in most
cases. because the pollen will drift at least 80
rods. The breeding must therefore be done
where the breeding field can be protected
from other corn fields, as by hedges, timber,
or other natural barriers to pollen drifting, or
In very large field of the same variety that
is being bred. This last plan has been used
with good results in developing sweet corn
varieties. but is not so quick in results as the
plan OF isolating the breeding fields. This is
due to the fact that if the breeding field is 10.
Gated where it will be pollinated by the pollen
| of inferior stalks, even of the same variety,
this fertilization will be detrimental TO the de-
velopment of the variety aud the wedding out
| OF the unfavorable types. A field of about an
| acre in size OF the best corn land is selected
The character of soil is of extreme i'm
portance. The placing of the breeding plat
In a poor soil single year may destroy the
work OF many years careful breeding. The
land should be carefully prepared, according
TO the best methods of fitting the seed bed in
that LOCALITY: The plan is TO plant each ear
by itself in this field. either in plats fen hills
square or in row.
The plat and row systems are being used by
corn breeders. and it will take several years
TO demonstrate the most successful plan For
simplicity the row will system be described,
ana the same principles will apply to the plat as