The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-26
rmproyInw cern hy Rreealns

Previous articles, appearing In these columns last fall. about the time when corn was being gathered, pointed ous the advantages of making the seiection of the ears intended for seed wnile tne cars were still on the stalk. This IS because we desire to perpetuate cer.aln qualities of the stalk or of the entire plant. as well as certain excellencies of the ear. While field selection is bet ter. selection in the crib should now pc nsnde hy those Vi 1o did not choose tneir seed corn In the field.
 Bi. in choosing tha largest ears, or even the most perfectly formed ears m the crib. we cannot be sure that we are getting ears from productive plants. Indeed. even if we have selected m .ne A8ld the most productive plants, We cainot be sure that the plants selected are Ahe individuals that are best aple to transmit the quality of productive- ness. The plant breeder as well as tne animal breeder must bear in mind tnat both individual excellence and pedigree are factors to be considered. Peoisree even more than individual excellence determines whether the desired quail tier have existed in all the ancestors and hence whether these good qualities will bs transmitted to the posterity or the animal or individual plant under consideration.
 m recent years some of the experi- ment stations in the corn belt have de- voted much attention to corn breeding, to the end that highly bred ear Of corn may possess an unproken cnaln of prolific ancestors, that is, pedigree The method that has been found most effective in improving the corn plant has been to plant each ear In separate row in d breeding patch. In this way we may learn which ear possesses the power to grow productive plants, by weighing the yield made by each row.
 But this alone is now known to be insufficient We must take precautions falling on the silks of the same plants. It Is only within the last year or two that the experiment stations have shown that inhreeding of corn reduces the yield and vitality. To avoid in- breeding the tasseis arc removed from every other row of tho breeding plot before any pollen is shed. Ears for seed are selected only from these de- tasseled rows A few of tine best ears on each of the most productive detas- seied rows arc selected for use in the breeding patch of the next year. This second wear breeding patch is likewise subjected to the detasseling of every other row. and so on from year to year. Certain other precautions are taken to avoid lhprS&Qln&s uSLftii tflAb Woufn p~ of use only to the man who makes q speciality of plant breeding.
 As showing the increase in yield ate tributable to avoidance of close breed- ing, the following results obtained at the Illinois Experiment Station will be of interest:
 The eetasseled, and hence erossbred, rows, exceeded the rows bearing tas- seis by 1.e bushels per acre the first year, by 12 4 bushels the second year, and by 10.e bushels the third year of the continuous tasssling.
 After presenting q very comprehen- sive and scientific system by which corn may be improved, the author of one of the bulletins on breeding corn con- eludes as follows:
 Tt will probably always be more profitable for farmers who grow only small amount of corn to buy their seed; but they should be able to buy 1t from some reliable corn grower, who grows a breeding plot and is striving to the best of his ability to select a strain of corn that will be adapted to their To. cality, one that will produce better yields on that particular soil and un- der those climatic conditions. Such seed is worth an advanced price in the market.