The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1910-12-14
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THE BREEDING or CORN


CTedSeu yleluS OF Detter grade OF
corn than the original seed. This gain
can be easily secured If one will de-
vote little time and patience in MAX
ing the proper start in the right di-
rection
The first thing to be Gone in the
breeding of corn is to go through a
field before the crop has been gather
ed and select about one hundred of
the best formed ears that point down
ward from the most vigorous looking
stalks but in order that any future
increase in yield may be brought
about by these selected ears, they
should be taken from stalks which
have not been favored by fertile spots
in the field or had more distance in
the drill from which to draw an extra
supply OF plant food After having
made the above selection the ears
should be "shucked" and placed on
large box or table in order that each
| individual ear may be carefully eX-
| amined.
In making this examination one
should consider the following points:
1. All the ears which are to be
planted in the breeding patch should
be as much alike in every respect as
possible, thus securing uniformity.
2. All ears should be as near a cyl
indrical shape as possible las cy-
lindrical shaped ear will carry high
er percentage Of grain than tapering
one.
3. All white varieties should have
white kernels and white cobs unless
red cob variety, then all cobs should
be red. Yellow kernels and red cobs
In white corn indicate mixture.
4. The tips and butts should be
well covered with uniform and well
shaped kernels.
5. The kernels on all parts of the
ear should be as near alike in shape,
size, and color as possible, as the
shape and size determines. in large
measure, the regularity with which
corn planter will drop them.
6. The length for single ear varie-
ties should not be less than eight
| inches with a circumference about six
inches measured one third the dis
| tance from butt
Having selected about fifty ears ac-
f0
the one hundred first gathered they
should be stored away until near
planting time in some dry place where
weevils or mice will not affect them.
Then they should be placed on plank
or large box and numbered consecu-
lively from 1 to so in order that they
may be tested for termination or abil-
ity to sprout. This test is made as
follows: FIJI soap or starch box with
wet sawdust. placing on top Of the
sawdust a wet flour or meal sack
which has been laid off in pencil
squares 2 x 2 inches. The squares
should then be numbered from | to
80. Then take ear No and remove
six kernels from 1t, taking the first
kernel about one inch from the butt,
slightly turn ear in the hand and re-
move another kernel about one and
half inch from the place where the
| first one was removed. Continue this
slight turning of the ear and removal
of kernels until the six are secured
| Having removed the Kernels, place
them germ side up in square No. / ,
ton. Continue to remove kernels
from the individual ears, placing them
in the square corresponding to the
number of the ear from which they
were removed Then cover them with
wet sack and place the box in the
kitchen and allow it to remain there
week, wetting it twice during that
| length of time. After the test has
been running about week remove the
| top sack and examine each square
containing the kernels. The number
tof these squares which do not CON
| tNn six large sprouts should he asccr-
tanned ana the ear corresponding to
the number Of that particular square
should be discarded, as all of the
kernels on it will not grow.
Having decided which ears are to
be retained each should be planted
on separate row. 1t is not necessary
that the entire ear be planted, but
precautions must be taken so that