The farmer and mechanic., 1915-09-07

ing the process of selection, consider
alton Of the strength and character of
the stalk, the height of the ear from
the ground, and the size of the shank,
should be noted. A stalk does not
necessarily have to be large to be
big producer. A tall splindling plant
lodges very easily. The stalk should
be of good size and strong at the base,
gradually tapering, and not neces-
sarly tall. Strong, vigorous stalks Of
medium height, usually produce the
best and earliest ears. The
ear should be attached to the stalk by
q medium-Sized shank, which is long
enough to allow the tip Of the ear to
hang down.
All ears in 4 corn field will not ma
ture at the same time A variation of
fifteen days in maturing Of ears in a
field is not uncommon. One Of the
reasons why a good selection Of corn
can not be made from the shock, or
from the field late in the fall, is that
one is not able to tell the time the
ear matured.
fifteen days later than the average
freezing time; and, il those are Sc
lected, they will insure late maturing
crop. Again, if corn is left unhusked
until late. the husks prevent the ear
from drying out properly; and. as a
consequence, it is likely to be frozen
before 1t is husked, or at least before
it has had time to dry out after the
husking.
II the choice Of corn for seed, one
selects the ears that he believes will
give him the largest yield Of good corn
the following year. 1t Is a good plan
10 choose an ear Of corn that is as
near the type wanted as possible: then
keep this ear from year to year, or un-
iii you get better one. At any rate
have a sample ear that you can look
at occasionally to help you in follow
ing one type. Keep this type-ear
handy when selecting corn in the fall;
and in the spring, when the final Sc
lection is made, 1t is we'll to compare
ell cars carefully with tine type-ear.
common practice Is to select ears
that are too large. It Is much better
to STOW three medium-sized mature
ears to the hill than it is to grow three
larger immature ears per hill. AS 9
general rule, the larger the cob and
the deeper the kernel. the longer il
will take the ear to mature.
Indications Of maturity are loosenes:
OF kernels on the cob, a high percent
age of moisture, chaffinesS Cor thin
small, poorly developed kernels), ad
hefence Of the tip cap to the cob, ant
Senerally a large amount of white
starch.
1t may be we'll to emphasize the fac
again that many are inclined to selec
ears that are too large. This is a yer!
natural thing to do, because everyon'
hkes large ears of corn better thar
small ones; but it is yield per acr'
FATHER than large ears that determine
profit And if one allows himself t.
select ears so large that they will no
mature, he is the loser thereby.
II has been learned, by many tests
that ears of a certain form yield NOR
than other ears different from tn
standard form. Ears Of corn likely t
give best results, carry the butt diane
Ter we'll towards the tip; they are fre
from indentations or other Irregular
Ties that would tend to decrease tn
yield of the ear; they have straight
regular rows of uniform kernels, an
nave Kernels extending we'll over tn
TAP and butt.
III costs just as much to grow an ca
~ corn that has kernels cOverin
three-fourths of the cob as it does t
crow one with kerIlelS covering tn
"hole cob. The kernel contains mos