Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-06-29
Selection Of Ears.


Selection Of Ears.
In starting out to improve strain
of corn there are two main points to
be considered-yield and quality. The
quality can be determined readily by
inspecting the ears. In examining the
ears the following five points are to
be looked for: ~ General appearance.
The ear should be as large as it can
be and still be sure to get ripe every
year. 1t should be straight, symmet-
rical and not taper too abruptly. The
butts and tips should be fairly well
filed. though other more important
points should not be sacrificed for this.
~ Trueness to type. Every establish
ed breed Of corn has its peculiarities Of
shape, color, etc.. that must be consid-
cred. The general type of the breed
should be adhered to closely, us uni
formity Is an indication of breeding.
(3) Maturity. No ear should be used
matured. Soft, chaffy. starchy kerr
nels or those shrunken at the tip, with
chair adhering to them, are indications
Of immaturity. Deep kernels go with
late maturing corn. Extreme depth
of kernel cannot be expected in the
early varieties that must be grown in
the north. ~ Vitality. While all corn
should be tested before it is planted.
yet there are many ears that can be
thrown out without the trouble of test
ing. Immature ears are usually lack
ing in vitality. II the kernels are
Dlistered on the back or the embryo is
dark or yellowish the chances are that
1t will not grow. o. Smelling percent
age. A high percentage of corn to cob
is desirable. but should be secured by
compact, fairly deep kernels rather
than by an abnormally small cob.
Increasing tho Yield.
While quality is important, yield is
even more SO. This is not so easily
determined. actual field tests being re-
quired. Before starting these tests
the breed of corn to be grown should
be selected. 1t pays to begin work
with the best corn obtainable. as you
are thus starting where some one else
has left of. A breed of corn that has
proved itself adapted to your locality
Is the best to select.
There are almost as many methods
Of breeding seed corn as there are corn
breeders. Many of these are too CON-
plicated to be adapted to the farmer
who is just starting in as corn
breeder. After few years. expert
ence with simpler method. some Of
the plans for keeping record of each
ear from year to year and producing
"pedigreed" seed corn may BIO EN-.
ployed.
The breeding plot should be 500 to
GOO feet long-just long enough SO that
1t takes an ear to plant row. II
should be wide enough for about fifty
Of these rows. The soil and drainage
conditions Of tho plot should be as
nearly uniform as possible. 1t should
oe located twenty to forty rods from
any other corn, 80 that there will be
no danger Of mixing. Fifty Of the best
ears OF the desired strain should be
selected and shelled separately. Each
Of the rows In the breeding plot ia to
be planted with one of these ears. The
work can be done with a planter If
care Is taken to clean out the boxes
thoroughly each time across. 1t is
better to drill the corn in the breed.
ing plot since 1t is too narrow to cul-
tivate to advantage crosswise. Two
or three border rows should be planted
around the edges of the plot.
Caro- of the Breeding Plot.
The breeding plot should not be fer
tilted any better than any of the 9th
er fields on the farm. and the prepare
ton of the seed bed and cultivation
should be the same. The prime OBJ
ject Is to develop strain Of corn that
will yield well under average field con-
ditions. The extra work that Is put on