Class S fiiq I Rnnlc - MZ-ht- J Copyright N° COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. j> ^-v^ THE A B C OF CORN CULTURE Or, Making Two Nubbins to Grow Where Only One Grew Before. By Prof. P. G. Holden — Iowa State College. THE WHITING TROPHY PLANTING AND TESTING AND HARVESTING INSECTS AND CULTIVATING GRADING AND STORING REMEDIES FULLY ILLUSTRATED The Simmons Publishing Co Springfield, Ohio. "And he gave it for his opinion, that who- ever could make two ears of corn or two blades of grass to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind and do more essential service to his country than the whole race of politicians put together." - Dean Swift. The Whiting Trophy (SEE FRONT COVER PAGE) Awarded annually by Hon. W. C. Whiting for the best ten ears of corn, any variety, exhibited at the Short Course, held at Ames, Iowa, the first two weeks in January, each year. Cost $450.00. The Cook Trophy {SEE BACK COVER PAGE) This trophy, costing $1 ,600.00, was presented to the Iowa State College by Mr. A. E. Cook, of Odebolt, Iowa, and is awarded annually at the International Live Stock Exposi- tion to the winning corn-judging team from any Agricultural College. PRESS OF THE SIMMONS PUBLISHING CO., SPRINGFIELD, OHIO. THE ABC OF CORN CUL TURE BY PROF. P. G. HOLDEN IOWA STATE COLLEGE Copyrighted, 1906 By THE SIMMONS PUBLISHING CO. THE SIMMONS PUBLISHING CO. Springfield, Ohio 1906 UCI H4 1906 ,. CaoyrigiU Entry . CLASS A XXc, No, ./• ?<> fs loo lol 'US //o Uf 120 a> /l' • /> • % <"" isti~ J 1 / 'j ^%r h.\ & % 1 e ) ;orn ' ROO'I LOU i i: Fig. 41 — Corn-Root Louse, or Aphis. a, Louse; b, Ant which Acts as a Guardian; c. Winged Louse; d. Honey Tubes. The lice are considerably smaller than the head of a pin, bluish-green in color, appear- ing in clusters on the roots of the corn early in the spring. They are always found asso- ciated with ants which act as guardians, pro- tecting them and carrying them to the roots of the corn. When disturbed by the ants they exude from the honey tubes a sweetish sub- stance called honey dew, on which the ants feed. Remedy — Rotation of crops, harrowing be- fore the corn comes up and frequent culti- vation after it it up, to disturb the work of the ants and to warm the ground and hasten the growth of the corn. tivation in low places; third, harrowing or cultivating the ground before the corn comes up and when the corn is small. This hinders the ants in transferring the lice and their eggs to the roots of the corn and also stimulates the corn to more rapid growth. Fourth, manuring the ground. This gives a vigorous growth and enables the corn to better withstand the drain by the lice. THE CORN ROOT WORM. Its damage is estimated at 200,000,000 bushels annually in the corn belt. Owing to the serious losses caused by this pest every- where in the corn belt, I wish to emphasize the remedies. Next to poor seed corn, the "corn root worm" is the greatest source of loss to the corn crop. The loss varies in different fields from a few bushels per acre to the de- struction of nearly the entire crop. The work of the corn root worm is not limited to any particular section, but is general throughout the corn belt. Of the six hundred fields examined this season and last in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas and Missouri, more than four hundred were more or less injured by the worm, has damaged the crops this year and last in Iowa alone to the extent of three bushels per acre, or 28,000,000 ' bushels, is placing the esti- mate at the lowest possible figure. If the actual damage could be determined, it would probably be double this amount. The root worm is so very small and does its work down under the ground in the roots of the corn, un- observed, and does its work so gradually that few people have an}' knowledge of the insect or the losses sustained annually. The eggs are laid mostly during August and Septem- ber and hatch the following spring in June and the first part of July. When full grown, the worm is about one-third of an inch in length and as large around as a pin. As soon as hatched, the worm enters the roots of the corn, and burrows back and forth, lengthwise, through the root, just under the out- side covering. Sometimes five or six worms will be found in one root and more than two hundred have been found in a single hill. The roots thus affected finally die and rot off, leaving short To say that the corn root worm £E j i ' ; ' w i re Worm C^itr Forbes Fig. 42 — Wire Worm. The wire worm often does its greatest dam- age on second-sod com and on the knolls or slopes, and also in the low places wheie the ground has been tiled out and recently put under cultivation. The worm often eats through the kernels of com and the small plants, killing the plants before they come up. They also feed on the roots of corn and bore holes through the stalks below the ground, doing much damage thioughout the entiie season. Fig. 43— White Grub. The above cut illustrates the white grub which frequently destroys the corn on old sod ground. Two or three grubs will often be found in a single hill, living on the roots of the corn. -45— stubs. The stalk of corn is thus deprived of moisture and nourishment and after a rain when the ground is soft, and espe- cially with a heavy wind, the corn often goes down badly, par- ticularly in those places most affected. Generally the worm will have reached its full size the latter part of July and first of August, when it pupates and in a few days comes out as a small beetle, light or yellowish green color at first, but soon turns to a grass-green color. It distributes itself throughout the field and migrates to other fields of corn Fig. 44 — This field has been in pastuie for several years, and is badly infected with the white grub. The hogs have torn the sod up completely, rooting for grubs and other insects. Fields left down to pastuie or meadow for a number of years are almost certain to become badly infected with grubs, wire worms, cut worms, bill bugs, etc., and, conse- quently, when this ground is finally put in corn the first and second ctops are both seri- ously injured, and if continued in corn the third and fourth crops will be even more seriously damaged by the corn root worm. feeding on the silks, and the corn at the tips of the ears, especially where the husks have been broken open and the corn injured by the birds, ear worms, etc. So far as known in the North, the corn root worm works only on the roots of corn, and it is almost certain that the eggs are always laid in the corn field. Several hundred fields of corn were examined during this and last summer, but in no case did I find any damage from the root worm where corn followed some other crop, as pasture, —46— clover, oats, wheat, etc. The second crop of corn was damaged considerably, except in a few sections where corn is not the prin- cipal crop. But where corn has been grown more than two years on the same ground, consecutively, the damage was alwa} r s serious, and in many cases the yield was reduced to fifteen or twenty bushels to the acre, and this, too, in some in- stances where the ground had been manured in the winter before the plowing in the spring. INDICATIONS First: The corn will have an uneven appearance, certain patches being espe- cially poor and making a slow growth during the latter part of June and first part of July. The corn will have a yellow or sickly appearance and seem to stand "still." Second: The the worm itself, be determined up a hill of breaking open the roots. Third: The appearance of the roots, root has been the worm Often presence of which can by pulling corn and When one destroyed, attacks another, every principal root Fig. 45 — Corn Ear Worm, Sometimes Also Called the "Cotton Boll Worm," or To- bacco " Bud Worm," etc. Everyone is familiar with the work of the corn ear worm. This worm is found distrib- uted throughout the United States. The great- est damage has been done in the South, where it works on corn, cotton, tobacco, beans and other plants. The damage has been unusually great during the past year throughout the corn belt. The worm is especially fond of sweet corn, and injured the corn to such an extent that several canning factories were obliged to shut down. There are from three to five broods each year. They pass the win- ter in the pupa stage in the ground, and come out in the spring as moths to lay their eggs. The first brood eats the leaves of corn and other plants, the second brood eats the silk and tassels, and the third brood eats into the end of the ear of corn, and works back and forth. The actual damage done by the ear worm itself is not so great as the injury re- sulting from other insects, mold, rot, etc., which follow up the work of the worm. There is no known remedy which is successful. In the South it is claimed that fall plowing of the badly infested corn ground exposes the oupa to the freezing weather, killing many of them and the brace roots are completely destroyed, while in fields not so badly affected only a portion of the roots are destroyed; Fig. 46— Cut Worm. a, larva; b, moth. The greatest damage done by the cut worm is on the first-sod coin, especially where the field has been down to meadow or pasture for a number of yeais. Remedy is late fall plowing; shorter rotation, using clover and leaving down but one or two years. Fig. 47— Stalk Borer. a, adult; b, larva; c, larva in oat stalk; d. pupa. Sometimes called the "heart worm," be- cause it eats into the center of young corn plants, frequently destroying the plant. The damage is generally mostly confined to the two or three outside rows next to the hedge rows or meadows. It often injures oats, the heads turning yellow prematurelv, due to worms working up and down through the stalks, eating through the joints. other roots -will have a dark appearance and, when split open, show the burrows of the worm, although the worm may have left the root some time before. Fourth: The falling down of the corn during the latter part of July and Au- gust, especially in the spot most affected and after a rain followed by a wind; later the stalks will curve upward, giving a sled-run- ner or rainbow appearance to the stalks. Fifth: Ease with which the stalks may be lifted out of the ground, even with one hand. It will require con- siderable effort to pull up a healthy hill of corn with both hands. Sixth: The firing of the corn during the dry weather of July and August. Seventh: The large num- ber of stalks in the field with no ears and with very poor ones. Eighth: The presence in the corn field, especially in the silks at the tips of the ears, during August and September, of a large num- ber of small green beetles, about twice as large as the head of a pin. They are most numerous during Au- —48- gust, although they may be seen as late as October in the late planted field. Ninth: The corn is often retarded in growth and matures late and is often injured by frost as a consequence. Where the corn falls down badly, it rots before husking time. Tenth: The corn is light and chaffy and often moldy. REMEDY The remedy is rotation of crops, never growing more than two crops of corn continuous!}' on the same ground. If the corn went down considerably in August, es- pecially in spots, if the stalks can be pulled u p readily and the roots are badly rotted off, if there are many barren stalks or stalks with poor ears, and if the field has been in corn two years consecutively, it should go into some other crop for at least one year, and better, if it is seeded down and left one or two years in clover. The damage to the corn crop annually by the corn root worm in the corn belt the only remedy and now is the field next year. Fig. 48— Corn Bill Bug. Recently considerable damage has been done in some sections of the corn belt by the corn bill hup. Sometimes whole fields have been entirely destroyed. The most serious complaints have been fiom corn on the first or second sod. The damage is generally con- fined to the outside two or three rows in the field. Where a regular system of rotation is practiced and the field is not left down to grass more than two years at a time, there is seldom much damage except to the outside rows near the fence row or grass border. The bill bug does its work when the plants are small. No. i, the stalk on the left, shows the position of the bill bug when at work, jiie thrusts his long snout into the young plant and eats the tender corn. If the bill bug does not kill the plant (and generally it does not) there will appear rows of holes in the leaves weeks later as it develops (see stalk on right in cut). These holes are made by a single thrust of the snout into the small plant before the leaves were unfolded. Nos. 3 and 4 show the beetle much enlarged. is enormous. Rotation of crops is the time to decide what to do with —49— Fig. 49 — Corn and Stock Judging Pavilion. Iowa State College. "The farmer who adopts better methods this year is not onlv a better farmer himself in the future, but his methods, directly or indirectly, soon become the methods of the community." Fig. 50 — Discarding Poor Ears. Before making the germination test, the seed ears should be laid out on some board or planks where they can be studied, and with an ear of desirable type in one hand, the corn should be gone over carefully and all ears which do not conform to this type in size, color, shape of both ear and kernels, should be thrown out. We are now ready for the germination test. 50- CHAPTER fV HARVESTING AND STORING SEED CORN "If every ear of corn intended for planting next spring was harvested this fall not later than the middle of October and hung up in the attic, where it could dry out thoroughly before the bitter cold freezes of November and December, mil- lions of dollars would be added to the value of next year's corn crop." While there are many who exercise great care in the har- vesting and storing of their seed corn, yet we must all agree that the majority have become extremely careless, often de- pending upon the occasional good ears found throughout the entire husking season for seed, and, in thousands of cases, the seed is simply selected for planting in the spring from the crib. There must be a tremendous "jogging" or waking up to the importance of better care of the seed corn in the central west. We have "Arbor Day." Would it not also be well to have a "Seed Corn Harvest Day" in each state — a day when every- one should begin the harvesting and storing of his seed for the following spring? We laugh at our grandfathers for planting their potatoes and sowing their grain "in the moon," that is, in certain phases of the moon. The value of this practice lay, not in the fact, as supposed by many, that the moon exercised any influence on the crop, but in the having of a definite time and plan for the doing of various things on the farm. If the harvesting of seed corn, like the feeding of stock, came every day, it would be attended to on time, but it is noth- ing more nor less than human that the work which comes only occasionally or once a year, as in the case of the harvesting of the seed corn, should be put off or neglected altogether, un- less there is a definite time and plan for the work. And so I would suggest that some day be set aside on every farm every fall to be known as "Seed Corn Harvest Day" and that it be celebrated by harvesting and storing the —51— seed for next year's planting. In many cases, the work could not be completed in one day, but a good beginning could be made. However, it will require much less time than is gen- erally supposed. Forty acres is the average amount of corn planted on each of the 288,000 farms in Iowa each year, and this requires less than six bushels of seed, provided there is no waste or replanting. But, in order to have plenty to select Fig. 51 — Two hundred bushels of seed corn stored first two weeks in October; forty ears (two strings of twenty ears each) are hung eight inches apart each way. The above cut represents one of the best and safest methods of storing seed corn. Fifteen or twenty ears are tied together with a piece of binding twine and hung from hor- izontal wires suspended fiom the rafters of the ceiling by other wires. First: This gives thorough circulation of air, and thus prevents molding or sprouting. Second: It allows the corn to dry out rapidly and completely, and thus avoids danger from freezing, during the bitter cold weather of November and December. Third: There will be little danger from mice and rats. from and to provide against possible accident, not less than fifteen or twenty bushels to each forty acres should be saved. One of the very best methods for gathering the seed is to go into the best and earliest planted fields with bags or baskets and select well matured ears from the most vigorous stalks. The ears should then be stripped of their husks and tied to- gether, ten or twelve ears on a string, and hung in the attic or in a spare room upstairs or in a dry cellar at once on some wires where there is a good circulation of air and where it will be protected from the bitter cold, freezing weather of November and December. The twenty-one strings of seed corn shown in the cut re- quire a space less than six feet long by twenty inches wide, and yet this amount of seed will plant more than fifteen acres. The advantages of this method of storing are: First: That it gives better protection from mice than where it is spread on the floor or corded in piles or put in racks. Second: It gives better circulation of air, which allows the corn to dry out quickly * ; — r t" ~i — " ri lr*i ^i 1 * L» .1' ^.:i.-- T --hrvU_ \m - ^L ■SSr^SK'&aErS <****r r '~^ jSL. """^^ ''w&m*- *■>**&** • f!i Fig. 52 — The twenty-one strings of corn aie hung to wiies in the attic in a space less than six feet long by twenty inches wide, yet there is sufficient to plant fifteen acres. and thoroughly, thus protecting it from molding and sprout- ing and from being frozen while it is yet sappy. The greatest enemy to good seed corn is hard freezing while it still contains moisture, consequently there is more dnager from late harvesting than from too early harvesting. However, it is not a good plan to harvest the seed in September while the corn is immature, as it is more difficult to preserve, will be chaffy and give weaker plants than corn which has been allowed to fully mature on the stalk. PLACE FOR STORING SEED Taking all things into consideration, probably there is no better place to store seed corn than in the attic. In the nearly —53— Yield o} individual tars. Ohio Experiment Station Thre. hic,>wst CI rf ra t\t 110 bu. Thru Uwfit 1 1 * Au.. JU fcu. 55 U CStXA. Ilk*. a *f rc\qe it but 5,000 samples of seed corn sent to the college for testing the past two years, those preserved in the attic generally gave the strongest germination and also the highest per cent. The ex- periments conducted at the college, where seed was stored in over forty different ways, also show that the attic is one of the very best places for seed corn. The second best place seems to be in the cellar and especially the furnace room. There are several objections to the average cellar. It is apt to be too damp and the corn must be well dried before putting in the cellar and it must not be corded up or put in piles, but hung up. There is more danger from mice and generally there it less room, but it has one great advantage, in that it protects the corn from hard freezes. Seed that is hung in the barn or under an open shed generally comes through the winter in fair condition, pro- vided it was harvested and hung up during the early part of October, yet the experience of the last two years shows that much of the seed stored in this way was either killed or greatly weakened. During the warm damp spells, the seed gathered moisture and was injured by the cold freezes that followed. It should be remembered that freezing cannot do the corn any possible good and it may greatly injure it. It is quite generally supposed that if the seed sprouts in the spring it is all right. As a matter of fact, much of it has often been so weakened that it will not grow, especially if the Fig. 53— Prof. C. G. Williams, of the Ohio Experiment Station, selected twenty- four of his best ears of seed corn. These were shelled sepaiately and planted side by side, each ear in a row by itself. The corn was planted five kernels per hill, thinned to three stalks after coming up. Notice — First: That one ear yielded at the rate of one hundred and fourteen bushels per acre, while another yielded fifty-five bushels. Second : That the one hundred and four- teen bushel ear produced no worthless stalks, while the fifty-five bushel ear pro- duced fifty-eight barren or worthless stalks, yet each of these rows contained exactly the same number of stalks. Third: That the second best ear pro- duced at the rate of one hundred and twelve bushels per acre, with only fifteen barren stalks, while next to the poorest ear yielded but sixty-five bushels per acre and had fifty- two barren stalks. Fourth: That the three highest yielding ears averaged one hundred and ten bushels per acre, while the three poorest of the twenty-four ears produced only sixty-six bushels, or a difference of forty-four bushels per acre. ground is cold or the seed is planted too deep, or if it does grow, gives only weak stalks. We cannot afford to be careless with our seed corn. It means too much. Poor seed means a poor stand; not only is a portion of our field idle, but we must cultivate the missing hills and the one-stalk hills and the poor and worthless stalks. Thousands of people this year worked more than a third of every day on ground that produced nothing, simply because they planted weak seed. Do not depend for seed upon the occasional good ear found throughout the husking season. The Fig. 54 — Rows of Corn Planted from Different Ears. Anyone who will select one hundred of what appears to be his best seed ears and plant them in separate rows, side by side, watch them grow through the summer, harvest each row separately in the fall and weigh the com, will certainly be convinced of the tremendous importance of knowing, not guessing, that the eight hundred kernels from an ear are strong and vigorous. corn will be injured by freezing before it is husked, or before it has had time to become dry after husking. One of the best plans I know of is to begin in March, when testing the corn for planting, by selecting eighty or one hundred or more of the very best ears from the seed corn. These ears should not only be splendid ears in appearance, but the six kernels must show uniformly strong, vigorous sprouts in the germination box test. SELECT BREEDING AT TESTING TIME The very best time to select these choicest ears is when the germination box is being taken off. We can see the sprouts of the six kernels from all the ears side by side. These ears should then be butted and tipped and each ear shelled by itself and carefullly studied. The kernels should have a bright, cheerful appearance, be full and plump at the tips and have a large, clear germ, otherwise they should be discarded. The corn from these remaining ears should be mixed together and planted on one side of the regular field. I would emphasize the importance of planting this choice seed at the time of the first planting; that is, I should begin my first field with this seed, put- ting it on the south or west side of the field, unless there is danger that it will become mixed from some neighbor's corn near by, of a different variety. In this case, I would put it on the other side of the field. The im- portant thing is to get it in early, and, if possible, on fall- plowed ground. This will allow the corn to become thoroughly matured early nex't fall. The great import- ance of this cannot be over- estimated. It is the late ma- turing corn that is caught by the freezes, as there is not sufficient time for it to dry out. Fig. 55 — No. i is an illustration of a good stalk, well balanced, the ear about four feet from the ground, well set and droops suf- ficiently, when ripe, to shed the rain. No. 2 shows a rather weak stalk with long joints, and the ear set too high and much too near the top. SELECT NEXT YEARS SEED FROM THIS BEST CORN The seed corn for the next crop should be selected from this patch, which was planted from the very best ears. It is -56- a very common practice to select the occasional good ears found throughout the entire husking season. There are three important reasons why this should not be done. In the first place, we are more likely to neglect the work until too late, when we find ourselves without good seed for the next year. Again, many of the kernels on these good ears, selected throughout the entire field or season, have necessarily been fertilized by pollen from the scrub stalks and those which are perhaps barren. In other words, we have simply select- ed a good female, but know nothing of the character of the male stalks from which the pollen came that fertilized the kernels. On the other hand, if our seed is all selected from the seed patch planted only from the very best ears, we are much more certain of good parents on both sides. One of the most serious results from depending on the occasional good ear found throughout the entire husking season is that many of the fields are late and the corn immature and the husks will prevent the corn from drying out properly and, as a conse- quence, it is frozen before it is husked, or at least before it has had time to dry out after husking. Again, we often begin harvesting our poorest fields first and delay saving seed until we come to our "best fields." There are several cautions which should be observed in the storing of seed corn. Fig. 56 — Height of Ears. As extremely high ears tend to be later than those lower down, they should not be used for seed purposes. Ears, on the other hand, that are too low, tend to • extreme earliness, and as these two classes do not mature well together, they should be avoided, and none but ears borne at a uniform height should be used for seed. First: Do not put immature or freshly-gathered seed corn in a warm room on the floor or in' piles; it will either sprout or mold, or both. The corn should be hung up and the windows left open for a good circulation of air. Second: Seed corn should not be left in barrels and boxes, nor on the floor or porch in piles. It should be properly taken care of at once, as soon as harvested — that night. Third: Do not store seed corn over the laundry room, nor over the stable, as it will gather moisture and be injured by freezing during the winter. Fourth: Do not depend upon the crib for seed corn. The most critical time for seed corn' is during the first month after it is harvested while it is green and sappy. There is danger that it will mold or grow if the room is warm and the circulation of air is not good. On the other hand, there is danger of its freezing unless protected. Corn dries out much more slowly than is generally supposed. The experiments at the college show that corn which shrunk twenty-six per cent, during the year in a small crib had lost on January 1st but eight per cent. This corn was put into the crib on October 27th. Let me again emphasize the importance of selecting, say, one hundred of the choicest ears, planting them on one side of our earliest planted field. Out of this seed patch the seed for next year's crop should be selected not later than October 10th to loth and hung up in the attic at once, where it can dry out thoroughly before the severe freezes. Let us have a time and a definite plan for harvesting and storing our seed corn. One day devoted to the seed corn at the proper time may be worth more to us than an entire month of hard work next summer put on to a poor stand of corn. Fir,. 57 — Bushel crate of corn ready for shipment. Size, n inches wide by 12 inches deep by 32 inches long, inside measurement. The slats are 3 inches wide, the side slats are of one-half-inch and the end slats of five-eights-inch material. -58— CHAPTER V WHAT IS A GOOD EAR OF CORN, OR HOW TO SELECT AND JUDGE CORN Perhaps the four most fundamental things to be considered in the judging of corn or in the selecting of seed are: First: Will it grow? That is, will it all grow and grow uniformly, giving an even stand? Has it vitality — strong- germinating power? Second: Will it mature; that is, will it ripen in the vicinity, not only this year, but every year for ten years? If not, it is too risky. Third: Has it constitution; that is, producing power? Has it those characteristics which make us know that it will do something in spite of cold ground and unfavorable conditions? Fourth: Has it breeding characteristics? Will it repro- duce itself? Has it forty, fifty or sixty years of intelligent selection and improvement back of it to a purpose? Has it been. mixed with brains? Let us take up some of the points to be considered under each of the above head. first: has it life? has it strong germination power? will it grow? In the final selection of seed corn to plant no one has any moral right to guess that the kernels on an ear of corn will grow when he can find out definitely what they will do by testing a few kernels from each ear as described in Chapter II. In the preliminary work of sorting out and selecting the ears of seed corn we are obliged to depend on the appearance of the ears and kernels, and this is especially true with the judge at a contest, where he must pass upon the samples after only a brief examination. In studying the germinating power of the corn, it is essential that several kernels be removed from every ear, representing different parts of the ear, and laid at the end of the ear where —59— they may be studied with the ear. Some indications of the lack of strong germinating power are: black, salvy or cheesy appearance of the germ when the kernels are cut or broken open; shrunken, blistered or wrinkled germs; starchy, blistered backs of the kernels; kernels with shrunken pointed tips, leav- ing space at the cob between the kernels; adhering to the kernels of the chaffy part of the cob when the corn is shelled; starchy, dull, dead appearance of the ear; loose, chaffy condition of corn on the cob, and especially a moldy appearance of the cob or of the corn. Fig. 58 — The samples of ten eais each enteied in a corn contest laid out ready for judging. The object should be to give fiist place to the ten eais which will prove most profitable per acre to grow, year after year, under the conditions as they exist in the vicinity where the contest is held. second: will it mature; that is, ripen in the vicinity every year? is it safe? Maturity is one of the most important things to be con- sidered, especially in the northern part of the corn belt, where there has been a tendency to grow late maturing varieties, and to select too large ears, or ears with too deep grains, which tend toward lateness. As a consequence, the corn is improperly matured, chaffy, and grades low on the market. A load of immature, chaffy corn, loose on the cob, light and starchy, is often worth scarcely half as much in the feed lot as a load of well-matured corn. To this loss we must add the difficulty of keeping immature corn. It generally molds more or less, and —60— almost always, during March and April, when the corn thaws out, the heart or chit of the kernels, which is the most valuable portion of the grain, turns black, becomes strong and unpalatable and the feeding value is greatly reduced. Of the thousands of samples of corn sent to the college each spring to be tested, it is almost invariably the late matur- ing varieties ' that have lowest vital- ity. This is due largely to the fact that the corn ma- tured so late that it did not dry out thoroughly before the severe freezes of November and December. What we "n e e d is not large, late matur- ing kinds of corn, but a better stand, with every stalk bearing *a medium- sized, well-ma- tured, solid ear of corn. One small ear of corn weiging ten and o n e - h a 1 f ounces to each of the 3,556 hills per acre, would make thirty-three bush- els per acre, or niore than the average yield of the corn belt for the past ten years. What we need now is another ear of corn to each hill. The indications of immaturity are chaffiness, looseness on the cob, sappiness, dull and starchy appearance of kernels, the chaffy portion of the cob adhering to the kernels, when removed Fig. 59 — Space between the kernels next to the cob objectionable. Ears i and 2 are the same length and circumference. Ear No. 1 weighed 13.45 ounces. Ear No. 2 weighed 10.12 ounces. Ear No. 1 shelled out thirty-three per cent, more corn than ear No. 2. No. 3 is edge view of the kernels taken from ear No. 1. No. 4 is edge view of kernels from ear No. 2. Nos. 5 and 6 is a flat view of the kernels. Ear No. 2 should be discarded for seed purposes. First, because it will shell out a smaller proportion of corn to cob; second, because it is> poorer in feeding value; third, because the kernels give weaker stalks. —61— from the cob, or the tip cap of the kernels breaking off leaving the germ exposed, shriveled or wrinkled appearance of the tips of the kernels, the doughy appearance or cheese color of the germ or heart of t h e kernel. third: has it constitu- tion OR PRODUCING POWER? It has already been pointed out that there is a great dif- ference in the producing pow- er of different ears of corn. There are certain things which indicate vigor and strength, or the lack of it. In figure 60 it is apparent that the right hand stalk has the greater strength. The left hand stalk is spindling, the shank of the ear is long and so weak that the ear has broken down, the joints are long and the leaves narrow and pale in color and the tassel itself shows weak- ness. There is not space here to bring out the many differ- ences shown by the stalks in this figure, but anyone who has really given much atten- tion to corn will appreciate fully the importance of plant- ing the corn from the ninety or one hundred best ears on one side of the field, so that he may go through this part of his field in October, with bags, and select the best ears from those stalks which indicate constitution and vigor. In connection with the ears of corn and the kernels, there are many things which indicate strength or the lack of it. Ears Fig. 60 — Shows a strong, vigorous stalk and a weak one. At the time when those stalks were taken from the field (October 10), the ear on No. i showed a droop at the tip a little more to prevent the water from run- ning under the husks and molding the butt of the ear. 62 with compressed butts, very small shank attachments, or ears with small pointed tips partially covered with small, yellow, flinty kernels, ears with a dull and starchy appearance, or ears with kernels having small germs or weak pointed tips are gen- erally weak; i. e., produce weak plants, which will not endure unfavorable conditions, such as cold, wet ground in spring, or dry weather later in the season, or resist the attack of insects,etc. A large germ or heart in the kernels of the ear indicates not only strength and vigor, but also high feeding value. One of the best in- dications of strength is the way the six kernels from each ear sprout in the germi- nation box. fourth: has it breeding? is it true to type? will it re- produce its e l f? has it years of se- lection to a pur- POSE: Fig. 61 — Furrows between rows. Ears like No. i with no furrows between the rows are apt to be dull ■p , i i l +u .+ anc ' lacking in weight, with spaces between kernels at r/rOOably tUe next cob. The furrows are too prominent on ears 3 and 4. most important thing to take into consideration is the trueness to type, or breed char- acteristics. The ears to be selected for seed, or for the exhibit, should be uniform in size, shape and color, and should be free from mixture. The kernels of the different ears should also be uniform as to color, size and shape, maturity and other char- acteristics. The real significance of having definite and uniform characteristics is not generally appreciated. Corn practices "open" or "free" pollination, and, as a consequence, much of the corn has become badly mixed. The following are some of the bad results of mixture: -03— First: Instead of improving it tends to deteriorate or to revert, and generally- becomes inferior to either of the kinds which were mixed. Second: There is generally a large percentage of barren stalks due to the difference in time of silking of the two or more varieties which formed the mixture, and to the increased tendency to vary; hence, we find in a mixed corn many stalks silking before the pollen is shed, and others after it has gone. Third: There is a wide range in time of maturity, and consequently much soft, chaffy corn; frequently a portion of the kernels of the same ear will be much more immature than others. These later maturing kernels con- tain more moisture than the riper ones and are quite likely to be injured by freez- ing and refuse to grow when planted or will give weak plants. Fourth: The varie- t i e s which become mixed generally have different types or characteristics of ker- nels. There will be a tendency for some of the ears to have broad, shallow or thick kernels, while others will have narrow, deep or thin kernels. This lack of uniformity in size and shape of kernels makes it impossible to secure an even dropping of the seed by the planter, which means a poor stand and a reduced yield. In the tests which have been made with a large number of samples from farmers, those most badly mixed generally gave the lowest yield. Fig. 62 — These ears vary greatly in size and shape of kernel. The planter will not drop the kernels from these ears evenly. They will also give too much variation in time of maturity, character of growth, etc. —64- —65— SCORE CARD The score card is simply a subdivision of these four funda- mental propositions. Its purpose is: First: To aid the judge to keep in mind the principal things to be considered. Fio. 64 — In selecting seed ears, Nos. 2 and 3 should be discarded, as no planter will drop a uniform number of these kernels per hill. Ears Nos. 1 and 4 have kernels of uniform size and shape, and when the butts and tips were shelled off the planter dropped three kernels to a hill ninety-three to ninety-five times out of every hundred tests, while ear No. 2 tested seventy- four threes, nineteen twos, six ones and one five. Five stalks in one hill and one in the next does not make an average of three stalks per hill in yield. Second: To aid in establishing a uniform basis for study and comparison. Third: To prevent the laying of undue stress on some —66— one or two points and omitting others entirely, which are of more importance. » Fourth: Finally, the great purpose of the score card is better corn; i. e., greater profits from each acre and for each day's labor put on that acre. It should not be followed blindly nor even mechanically, but intelligently. After all, the judge, or the man selecting his seed, is the principal factor, and upon POINTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 s 10 1. Trueness to Type 1(, 1 2. Shape of Ear 1C 3. Purity of Color in Grain and Cob 5 I 4. Vitality, Ma- turity, Germi- nation Power 20 - T 5. Tips of Ears 5 6. Butts of Ears 5 7. Uniformity of Kernels 5 8. Shape of Kernels 5 9. Length of Ear 5 10. Circumfer- ence of Ear 5 1 1 11 . Furrows Be- tween Rows 5 i 12. Space Be- tween Ker- nels at Cob 10 13. Proportion of Corn to Cob 10 .1 Total 100 ' . 1 -67 his knowledge and experience the final decision as to whether this sample or that, whether this ear or that, shall receive the award or be selected for planting must depend. The score card on the preceding page, with some modifi- cations, is now in gen- eral use throughout the United States: EXPLANATION OF THE POINTS IN THE SCORE CARD 1. Triteness to Type or Breed Characteristics. 10 Points. — The ten ears in the sample should possess similar or like characteristics, and should be true to the variety which they represent. Sev- eral representative kernels should be taken from each ear and placed germ side up in front of the ear and studied in con- nection with the ear. Too little attention is generally paid to the Fig. 65 — Scrub Ears of Corn . Ears i and 4 are from good, healthy, vigorous stalks. No. 4 was late, poorly pollinated, and as a consequence the corn is of little value. Ear No. 2 shows the effect of mixture with late corn. Some of the kernels were much later in maturing than others, and the crowns have been broken open and in some cases the kernels rotted; the stalks which produced these ears have distributed millions of grains of pollen throughout the field to fertilize the silks of many of the best ears which will be collected for seed. kernels in selecting seed and in judging samples. 2. Shape of Ear. 10 Points. In shape the ears should conform to variety type. Each ear should be full and strong in the central portion and not taper too rapidly towards the tip. This indicates strong constitution and good yield. 3. Purity of Color in Both Grain and Cob. 5 Points. — In color the kernels should be true to variety and free from mixture. Difference in shade of color, as light or dark red, white or cream color, must be scored according to variety characteristics. —68— Cob. — The cobs should show uniformity of color, shape and quality, indicating purity and good breeding. 4. Vitality, Maturity, Germination Power. 20 Points. — Corn should be in good market condition; should show good constitution and be capable of producing plants of strong, Fig. 66 — Mixing of Varieties Bad. The crossing or mixing of different varieties or types of com generally reduces botr yield and quality. Where the types crossed vary most, the damage is generally greatest i. The fixed characteristics of each variety are broken up; that is, become unstable and the tendency is to revert back to the older forms — to degenerate. 2. There will be a lack of uniformity in size and shape of kernels, and it will be im possible to secure regularity of drop by the planter. 3. The kernels on the ear will ripen unevenly: some of the kernels, being late, im- mature and sappy, are injured by the freezes in November and December, and, consequently, a poor stand is secured the following spring. 4. It produces unevenness in time of silking, the very earliest and latest ears fre- quently being poorly fertilized and developed. (See ears 2 and 3). vigorous growth and yield. All indications of freezing or other injury from exposure, and all evidence of immaturity, such as kernels with adhering chaff, black tips caused by the tip cap adhering to the cob, shrunken, dark or blistered germs, and —69— shrunken, blistered or starchy backs must be marked according to the judgment of the scorer. When selecting for the best kernel aside from type, the broad wedge-shape is most desirable. 5. Tips. 5 Points. — Tips should be regular, uniform, and properly proportioned to the body of the ear. The rows should be well carried out and the kernels conform closely to those in the main body of the ear in shape and size. The pro- portion of tip covered or filled must be considered. Long pointed tips, as well as blunt, flattened or double tips, are ob- jectionable. 6. Butts. 5 Points. — The rows of kernels should extend in regular order over the butt, leaving a deep depression when the shank is removed. Opened and swelled butts, depressed and flat butts with flat- tened glazed kernels, are objectionable and must be cut accord- ing to the judgment of the scorer. 7. Uniformity of Kernels. 5 Points. — -The kernels should be uniform in size and shape, making it possible to so grade the corn as to secure even dropping by the planter. This is essential in securing a good stand. Not only should the kernels be uniform on the individual ear, but they should be uniform throughout the sample. 8. Shape of Kernels. 5 Points, — Kernels should be so shaped that their edges touch from tip to crown. The tip portion of the kernel is rich in protein and oil, and hence of high Fig. 67 — The above ears are from different vari- eties of corn and illustrate very good forms or types. The ears are full in the middle, showing good consti- tution and breeding. The kernels on each ear are uniform in size and shape, and will be dropped uniform- ly from the planter, giving an even stand. feeding value. Kernels with large germs insure strong, vig- orous growth, as well as rich- ness in quality of kernel. 9. Length of Ear. 5 Points. — The length of the ear varies according to va- riety, type and the charac- teristics sought for by the in- dividual breeder. Uniformity of length is to be sought for in a sample, and a sample having even length of ears should score higher than one that varies, even if it is with- in the limits. Usual length of ears for the northern sec- tions of the corn belt, eight and one-half to nine and one- half inches; central section, eight and three-fourths to nine and three-fourths inches ; southern sections, nine to ten inches. Very long ears are objectionable, as they usually have poor butts and tips, broad, shallow kernels, and hence a low percentage of corn to cob. 10. Circumference of Ear. 5 Points. — The cir- cumference of the ear, aside from conformity to its variety or type, should be in sym- metry with its length. An ear too great in circumfer- ence in proportion to its length is generally slow in maturing, and too frequently Fig. 68 — Composition of the Crown» Middle and Tip Portion of the Kernel. Per Cent. Per Cent. Parts. Oil. Protein. Total. Crown (c) i .o 13.5 14. 51 Middle (m) 3.33 9.98 13-31 Tip (t) 12.02 12.26 24.28 Ears whose kernels have strong, full tips are richer and give stronger plants than those which are thin and pointed at the tips. !t I ■ I 1 I \l A Fig. 69 — Cross Sections of a Kernel of Corn. The following table shows the composition of the parts of a kernel of corn: Per Per Per Cent. Cent. Cent. Total. Oil. Protein. Ash. Germ or heart (g) .36.6 19. White floury por- tion (f,p). Hard, horny por- tion (h,p). 10. o 66.0 7-9 10.8 • S .65 9.2 12.55 It will be noticed from the above table. First , that the germ is many times richer than the other portions of the kernels in the three most valuable feeding constituents; viz., oil, protein and ash. Second, that the white, floury-looking portion is the poor- est. Select ears for seed that have kernels with large, deep germs. •1— 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24-43 22 21 20 16 *T 4t£ <&> ®»e sure to J. I. CASE PLOW WORKS, RACINE, WIS.. U. S. A. OC I «4 1906 Farmer is Willing and Anx- to Double his Earning Capacity. The Kelly Duplex Grinding Mill Ts a necessity to every Wide-Awake Farmer. With its use you double the value of your feed; getting 1 twice as much from a bushel of corn and cob, or corn, cob and husk, or shelled corn or any other kind of gVain, as you would by any other process. Isn't that AN ECONOMICAL WAY OF DOUBLING YOUR MONEY? No farmer can afford to be without a Kelly Duplex Grinding' Mill. We want you to know all about them — its worth your while — so let us send you our illustrated catalogue, which gives valuable and practical information concerning the real economy of ground feed. A double or duplex set of burrs in the miil doubles its capacity, hence called "Duplex." Ask your local dealer about them or send to us for further inter- esting details. Do it now, because every day you are without one means addi- tional expense to you. The 0. S. Kelly Company, Springfield, Ohio, U. S. A.