Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-03-13

ance. Neither is 1t possible to prevent
inbreeding by such method.
TO avoid these difficulties the wndi-
vidunl ear" plot has been devised. This
should preferably be at least forty
rods from the nearest cornfield. Where
this is impossible strip along the
south side Of field Of the same vari-
ETY. may be used. AS the prevailing
July and August winds are from the
south, very little pollen from the main
field viii blow over on the breeding
plot.
Each row in the individual ear plot
is to be planted with the kernels from
a single ear. AS any fair sized ear
will plant row forty rods long, this
is convenient length for the plot
Select from so to 100 Of the best ears
you can find among your seed corn
and plant them in as many rows
across the plot. The work can be
done with a planter IL care IL taken
to clean the seed boxes out thorough
ly each time across. The cultivation
given to the plot should be the same
as that which the main neld receives
The time for special treatment
comes when the tassels begin to alp
pear. we have already learned that
inbrseding 10 weakening and that
cross fertilization develops strength
and vitality. In order to prevent IN,
breeding in the individual ear plot
the tassels on every alternate row
should be pulled out as soon as they
appear. In order that these may be
removed before they shed any pollen
1t will be necessary to go over the
field every other day for week after
the first tasssls start. At the same
time any tassels from weak, barren OF
splndling stalks In the other rows
should be removed. In this way only
pollen from healthy, vigorous stalks
is allowed to mature. Thus the ears
on the detasseled rows, being cross
fortified and having only strong,
healthy male parents, have much
better chance Of producing large
yields when planted than would ears
picked from the general field.
The most important point, however,
is the selection Of high Fielding
strains that Is made possible BY hav-
ing the ears planted in individual
rows. When harvesting time comes
the produce Of each row should be
husked separately and weighed. It
will be found that there is great
difference in yield. The highest yield
ing rows, provided the corn Is OF
good quality, should furnish seed for
next years breeding plot. The rest
Of the good seed ears from the detas-
seled rows should be planted in a
small field, known as the multiplying
plot" The best Of the seed from this
multiplying plot can be used to plant
the general fields and for sale.
BY continuing this breeding process
from year to year strain OF corn
may be built up that will far outyield
the Ordinary corn Of the neighborhood
In addition to the increase In yield
which will result on your own farm, q
trade in seed corn may be built mp
that will add materially to the years
profits. There are many variations In
the plan of breeding here outlined, but
the essential point In all Of them is to
select the best yielding Individual
ears and to prevent cross pollination
as much as possible.
After the seed corn has been picked
1t should be stored in such manner
that 1t will pass through the winter
uninjured. The hints in regard to seed
storage us given in article No. 9 should
be followed.
Some time toward the close Of win
ter the corn should be tested. For a
preliminary test hundred kernels
may be taken from as many ears In
different parts Of the room. If the
corn has exceptionally strong vitality
the kernels may all terminate. In
case some Of the kernels fail to grow
or any considerable number show
weak sprouts each ear should be test
ed separately in order that the weak
ones may be discarded. The method
of making this test has been described
so many times in agricultural papers
and bulletins that it will be unneces-
sary to give 1t in detail here. 1t sim
ply consists in placing several kernels
from each err in corresponding