University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1911-03-21
How to Groto Corn


When it comes to a selection of corr
for seed the farmer should select the
variety best adapted to his section o.
the state. To be good Judge of corr
| it is absolutely necessary to know va
rieties. This can be learned in n.
other way except by careful obserya
ton of the different kinds of corn an6
noting their characteristics. 1t is an
open question what type of the variety
to breed for, as every variety has
many different types. In breeding
corn it is the best rule to take the
average kind of corn that Nature pro
duces in a given locality and set it II
a definite type. The reason for this
is plain. When Nature produces a
thing in abundance in a given locality
Il is good evidence that that thing is
pretty we'll adapted to that locality.
This is shown by the growth of weeds.
1t is sometimes a question with She
farmer why he is always sure of a
good crop of weeds and not of corn.
The reason for this is that only the
strongest and best adapted weed seed
live through the wintef. All of the
weaker seed are killed. Only those
having strong vitality and ability to
produce strong healthy plants are left
to grow. One should look out for
these same principles in growing corn.
A sensible corn breeder will not go
after freak If the average number
of rows grown on an ear in his local
ity is twenty, he will be very foolish
if he tries to increase the number to
twenty-four. Nature has decreed that
twenty is the best number.
For the State of Missouri expert
ments have shown that Boone County
White corn is the best yielding. Hence.
it must be the corn best adapted for
this section of the country. 1t has
some objections. however, from a
show standpoint On good ground it
tends to be coarse. The cob is apt to
be too large and the kernels tend to
be lacking greatly in uniformity. If it
had a smaller cob, a more uniform ker-
mel and butts that are more deeply
the corn would show a great
These faults are not
very serious in Boone County White
corn and can be eliminated by care.
full breeding. 1t will be possible to
round out the butts, increase the uni
formity of the kernels and decrease
the size of the cob by careful breeding
1t is the highest yielding corn in
In increasing the yield the
main factors to be considered are the
size of the cob and decreasing the
of days required for maturing
1t requires from 130 to 140 days to
mature this breed of corn properly
With the late, wet, cold springs of
Missouri this is too long a time. To
Improve this the ears maturing first,
as shown by the white husks in the
fall, must be selected for seed. In do
ing this great care must be exercised.
As a general rule, the small ears ma
ture first. If these are selected, the
size of the corn will be decreased and
also the yield as a direct result of the
small ears. Ears that are large and
mature early must be selected.
The size of the cob is an important
factor in increasing the corn yield. If
he corn has big, sappy cob it will
AXE long time for the water to
svaporate from it. II an early freeze
zones before the cob dries out, large
Der cent of the germs will be injured.
Freezing would have no effect on a
kernel of corn If it was not for the
water in the cob. Farmers OF Mis-
,ouri lose one-third of their corn crop
IN account of bad seed. The seed Is
bad because the cob is too large and
'etains too much moisture which is
rozen and thus ruins the corn germ.
An ear of corn needs a cob just large
enough to mature it thoroughly and
Keep it in shape. 1t need be no
onger unless one is growing-the corn
or the cob alone, as is done in the
,ase of cob-pipe corn. E. B. T.
Mo<herse Advice 70 Eddie fov.