The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-09-30
THE QUALIFICATIONS OF SEED
CORN

TENDER II, Mr.. Joseph Fry of Viewer.
prominent farmers of Lee county, ad-
dressed letter to the editor of that
publication, on the important ques-
ton of qualifications of prize corn.
The article is of such large value
that The Gate City is pleased with
the opportunity to present the same
to its readers. Mr. Fry's letter is as
follows:
To the Editor of the Scientific Ameri
can:
In the Scientific American of June
4th. page 457, under the caption. The
Costliest Ear of Corn in the World"
the writer of the illustrated article
certainly is neither a farmer nor
judge of prize corn. else he would
not leave the impression that an ear
or ears ever won prize because of
/ size. That is never the case. The
size of an ear of corn varies with the
climatic conditions. In judging a
/ fifty points are considered, of which
seven show very plainly in your IL
i lustration. They are these: The ears
are all of the same length and of the
4 same circumference; they are well
1 filed at the butts and at the tips;
the rows all run straight from the
butts to the tips. and turn neither to
/ the right nor to the left; the space
/ between the rows is the same in all
the ears; just enough for the corn to
mature properly. and the ears al ia
per the same at the tips and at the
i butts Now let me refer to Just a
few points that cannot be determined
\ by looking at the Illustration If the
germ and the embryo have not Ger.
tain color and certain consistency
We know that the kernel will not have
vitality and that it will now grow uni
formly This condition will reject a
sample of corn that is entered for g
prize even If it has all the other
good points shown in your illustra
. ton In the last you will see thai
two kernels are taken from each ear
generally more are taken. This is
done to see if it has the proper ger
minating power, to see if the chat
adheres to the tips of the kernels Of
If the tips OF the kernel adhere t.
the cob and if the tips of the kerne
are plump. If they are plump it in
Z dicates maturity, if shrunken, imma
turity and poor feeding value. If the
kernel is removed it is easier to SCI
if it has the proper amount of starch
which IS point for the judge K
consider The depth of the kerne
must be in proportion to the length
and to the circumference of the ear
The edges of the kernel should toucl
, from tip to crown; consequently the.
must all be wedgeshaped. The kern
els should hold their size and shap
J well out to the tip of the ear, an,
!. must be uniform in size, shape am
I color in all the ears of a sample Tn
n dent of the kernel must conform t
j the type; different types having dit
r ferent dents. White cob in yelloy
e sample of corn, or a red cob In
5 white sample would not win prize
no matter how large the ears, for
shows impurity If the furrow
# wide between the rows it shows
d low proportion Of corn TO the cob, an
indicates that it is not well bred. W
have enumerated only a few point
e that are taken into consideration i
e the judging Of prize corn, but enoug
e, to show that IT is not the size of a
4 ear, but It's breeding and its powe
to to reproduce itself that win for it
owner q prize The writer of tn
article says The champion ten ear
"a of corn shown IN the illustration a,
as erage 1912 inches In length and 72
40 inches in circumference, each ca
DIS carrying 20 rows of kerenels, tn
ne depth OF the KERNEL being q of a
nd inch and the weight of each ear /
ed 90 ounces" All of this shows thu
20 those ten ears of corn have had fort
he or fifty years OF careful, intelliger
er selection and Improvement back
a them. They have been mixed wit
as brains; they will reproduce then
selves. A stalk now produces doubl