University Missourian., 1910-08-11
WILL LEARN MANY
THINGS ABOUT CORN
Experiments With Boone
County White at College
of Agriculture.
CAREFUL RECORDS KEPT
Relation Between Color of
Silk and Of Grain One of
Things Sought.
CAREFUL RECORDS KEPT

What is the relation between the |
color of the corn silk and the color |
of the grains of corn?" why does !
one variety of corn have broad grains
and another narrow, and does the
shape influence the yield?" why do
some grains of corn have big germs
and others small?"
These are some of the questions
for which the College of Agriculture
at the University of Missouri is seek
ing the answer. The experiments be-
ing carried on to find out these an
Swers are known as the Adams expert
ments, taking their name from the
source of the money to pay for them,
the Adams Fund of the United States
government for scientific research.
The experiments are in charge of
+. H. Demaree. instructor in agronomy
Many details of the corn are care
fully kept in this work. This spring
the variety chosen for experiment was
the Boone County White, perhaps the
most widely grown variety in the state.
Before planting records of 155 ears
were made as to length, circumfer-
ence, width of kernel, depth of ker-
mel. composition of kernel, size of
germ, etc.
Many Measurements Made.
This fall not only will the yield of
each ear be taken, but all the charac-
teristics of stalk and ear will be stud
led and tabulated just as minutely
as those of the seed ear Among the
main points which will be noticed are
the average height of the stalks, the
average height at which the ear is
produced, the number of ears produc-
ed. the number OF barren stalks, the
average leaf area, the weight and
yield of each row, the loss OF mois-
ture from corn and cob, and shrink
ing and shelling percentage.
After the classification of the seed
corn this spring, few grains of each
class were planted in rows the regu-
lar distance apart that is common over
the state. In order to procure the
proper allowance for variation in the
fertility of the soil, if any, every third
row was planted from exactly the same
class of seed corn. By a careful COM
parison of the yields of these rows
planted from the same variety of seed,
it will be possible to correct for varia-
tions in soil fertility.
By careful examination and meas
urements of the plant and ear when
they are fully developed this fall the eff
feet of the physical and chemical char
acteristics of the kernel upon the re-
sulting plan will be determined. Re
searches already under way at the ex-
pertinent station here have shown
some remarkable effects of the rela-
tive proportion of horny and white
starch and of the size of the germ
upon the resulting plants. 1t is pro-
posed to carry these Investigations
further and to determine accurately
the relations existing between kernel
character and resulting plant This
work will include the classification of
large number of ears of several va
rieties and Investigations carried out
in both greenhouse and field.
To Apply to Practical Work.
The investigation also will include
variations in the plant induced by the
soil. Plants of the same variety are
being grown on soils of strikingly
different characters both in pots and
in the field Accurate measurements
of the various parts of the plant will
be taken and careful observations
made in the growing season. The
plan is to be duplicated for six stand
ard varieties representing different
characters in order to determine the
relations of soil to variety.
A series of preliminary tests will
be. made in large pots with different
varieties in the same soil and the same
varieties in different soils to determine
whether or not the different varieties
diher appreciably in root character
and what effect the soil may have on
root development.
The experiments as a whole are de-
signed to throw more light on the
effect that will come by the selection
and growing of the various charac-
ters which appear in ears of corn. to
uncover the mysteries of the corn
plant and to apply the knowledge SO