C^-P iret .-2, BULLETIN No. 191 YIELDS OF DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF CORN IN ILLINOIS BY W. L. BUELISON AND O. M. ALLYN URBANA, ILLINOIS, AUGUST, 1916 SUMMARY OF BULLETIN No. 191 NORTHERN ILLINOIS. Continued tests have shown that Western Plowman is the highest-yielding variety of corn for northern Illinois. The other leading high-yielding varieties which have been grown for a minimum of four years are: Eiley's Favorite, Griffith's Early Dent, Eeid's Yellow Dent, Heeker's Eed, and Funk's 90- Day. Pages 409-413 CENTRAL ILLINOIS. At Urbana, seventeen varieties of corn have been under test for five years or more. Reid's Yellow Dent has given the highest yield of any variety grown for a minimum of five years. Boone County White, Learning, Silvermine, Riley's Favorite, Champion White Pearl, Golden Eagle, Farmer's Interest, Johnson County White, and Beatty's Yellow are other high-yielding strains commonly grown. Pages 411-418 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. On well fertilized land in southern Illinois, Funk's 90 Day has given the highest yield of any variety which has been tested for four years or more. The other leading high-yielding varieties tested on fertilized land for a minimum of four years are Eeid's Yellow Dent, Perrine's White Pearl, and Chinese Poor Land. On untreated land, Champion White Pearl, Perrine's White Pearl, and Easterly's White have been the highest yielders for three years (1911- 1913). Pages 418-422 A BRIEF HISTORY OF CERTAIN VARIETIES OF CORN. Pages 422-424 YIELDS OF DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF CORN IN ILLINOIS BY "W. L. BURLISON, ASSOCIATE CHIEF ix CROP PRODUCTION, AND O. M. ALLYN, FIRST ASSISTANT IN CROP PRODUCTION This bulletin is prepared for corn growers who are interested in the comparative yielding powers of new and old varieties of corn grown in the three principal sections of Illinois. It is not possible to say which is the best variety of corn for each section of the state, but the report herein presented cannot fail to be of value in making a choice. The data included represent the results of about fifteen years' inves- tigations conducted, for the most part, at DeKalb, in DeKalb county ; Urbana, in Champaign county ; and Fairfield, in Wayne county, Illi- nois. This publication should not be regarded as final, but simply as a report of the progress of the work and the results thus far obtained. The state of Illinois is characterized by wide differences in climate and soil. Therefore, varieties of corn suited to one locality are not necessarily the most desirable for another. From north to south, the extreme length of the state is about 380 miles. The rainfall for north- ern Illinois is 33.64 inches per year ; for central Illinois, 35.76 inches per year ; and for southern Illinois, 40.25 inches per year. The length of the growing season for the northern section is 166 days; for the central section, 173 days ; and for the southern section, 188 days, as an average. The soil on which the experiments at DeKalb and Urbana were conducted, is brown silt loam; at Fairfield, gray silt loam on tight clay. These fields have been regularly supplied for the most part with phosphate rock, limestone, and either farm manure or crop residues. The aim has been to keep the land in a good state of fertility but not to produce abnormal conditions. It is believed that these fields are such as any progressive Illinois farmer would maintain. Methods of culture have been followed which are strictly comparable to those used by leading corn growers. Thus the yields reported are no large 7 " than may well be expected from the respective sections of Illinois. NOKTHERN ILLINOIS TESTS AT MYRTLE AND SYCAMORE, IN OGLE COUNTY Variety tests of corn were started at Myrtle, in Ogle county, in 1903. The work was continued thru the season of 1904 and was then moved to Sycamore, in DeKalb county. In 1906 the northern Illinois crop field was established at DeKalb, in the same county, and the work was moved to that field, where it has been conducted up to the present 409 410 BULLETIN No. 191 [August, time. The predominating soil type on which these tests were conducted is brown silt loam, the leading type on which corn is grown in northern Illinois. The results obtained at Myrtle and Sycamore are summarized in Table 1. TABLE 1. AVERAGE YIELDS OF VARIETIES GROWN AT MYRTLE AND SYCAMORE: 1903-1905 (Bushels per acre) Variety Myrtle 1903 Myrtle 1904 Sycamore 1905 Average yield Biley 's Favorite 57 2 455 59 6 54 1 Eeid 's Yellow Dent 595 469 544 53 6 Funk's 90 Day 556 42 9 62 3 53 6 Learning 544 403 63 4 52 7 Goldmine 52 2 457 598 52 6 Pride of the North 52.0 465 514 50 Boone County White 52.1 37.8 584 494 White Superior 47.9 594 Western Plowman 45.5 61.0 Champion White Pearl 616 . * * * Silvermine 56.9 Golden Eagle 56.3 Farmer 's Interest 341 Lockwood 's Yellow Dent . . 62.2 Western Plowman was not grown at Myrtle in 1903, and a three- year average therefore cannot be given for it, as for the first seven varieties listed in Table 1. However, when it is compared on an equal basis with Riley's Favorite, Reid's Yellow Dent, and Funk's 90 Day, using the 1904 and 1905 yields, it out-yielded them, as shown by the following direct comparisons : Western Plowman . . Eiley 's Favorite . . . Reid's Yellow Dent. Funk 's 90 Day 2-year average Bu. per acre 53.3 52.6 50.7 52.6 White Superior, Champion White Pearl, and Lockwood 's Yellow Dent, altho showing yields slightly higher than Western Plowman for the years in which they were grown, are considered undesirable for northern Illinois because of their late maturity. At Myrtle in 190-1 and at Sycamore in 1905, the average shrinkage of White Superior was 6.4 percent greater than that of Western Plow- man at the same places and the same time. At Sycamore in 1905, the average shrinkage of Lockwood 's Yellow Dent was 22.2 percent, and that of Champion White Pearl was 19.7 percent, as compared with 11.5 percent for Western Plowman. However, the yields reported have been computed to a uniform moisture content of 10.7 percent, and are thus strictly comparable. 1916] YIELDS OF DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF CORN IN ILLINOIS 411 TESTS AT DEKALB, IN DEKALB COUNTY The variety tests of corn at the DeKalb field have been conducted, in the main, in a rotation of corn, corn, oats, and clover. Each year, beginning with 1908, the varieties were duplicated in each division con- taining corn. In each division two systems of farming were practiced namely, grain and live-stock ; and each variety was grown in each system of farming in each division. Thus, normally, each variety was tested under four conditions each year, and the average yields of the varieties for the season were made from these four tests. Since the highest average yield of a variety does not always indi- cate the best variety, and in order to establish more definitely the re- lation of the different varieties with respect to yield, all are compared on the same basis, with Western Plowman as a standard. This at once gives a definite rating of the different varieties when compared with a leading variety. A summary of the varieties tested at DeKalb from 1907 to 1915 appears in Tables 2 and 3, which present fairly conclusive data as to the higher-yielding and more important varieties. When the basis of comparison is equal with respect to the num- bers of years tested, Western Plowman has never been out-yielded by any variety at DeKalb except by Will County Favorite, which has been tested only two years and is the same variety by origin. As may be seen in looking over Tables 2 and 3, only the most im- portant varieties have been included in the latter table. The prin- cipal high-yielding varieties which have been grown for a minimum of four years are: Western Plowman, Riley's Favorite, Griffith's Early Dent, Reid's Yellow Dent, Hecker's Red, and Funk's 90 Day. CENTRAL ILLINOIS TESTS AT URBANA, IN CHAMPAIGN COUNTY Variety trials on the Urbana field reported in this bulletin have been conducted since 1901. The results given have been obtained from the various trials of corn grown in three rotations as follows : (1) Corn, corn, oats, and clover (2) Wheat, corn, oats, and clover (3) A combination rotation of alfalfa, corn, potatoes, and soybeans For the most part, the yields are based on a grain and a live-stock system of farming. The leading varieties are compared with Reid's Yellow Dent as a standard, on the percentage basis. Such a rating renders it possible to make a direct comparison of a given group of tests. The complete data are reported in Table 4. A summary of the Urbana variety trials 412 BULLETIN No. 191 [August, a i 3 a M. to as ; ; ; 02 4 w < I** X 3 10 to * t~ co to . . . . ^1 tO ' <*i I '. I m to to t- t- to to m . . . . M * CO T 1 tO t 1 d ^ " m m m m l^* CO "^ in so t- ' m ' ' ' P o ^ ' CO* OO t-' O i-H ' .... EH *Z > ^ N 3 ** l-l t- to * t^ to to to to in to to to o S ~ a S m THHt^tOrHt- TjH CO i-H O (M CO t- *3 S O >H p, fct~ _ O5 i 1 O -* TjH tO 00 to cxi 05 oo to in to * in m i-H CO ' o S O5 -1-I r= 05 o ^,-,50 ,_,,_, in O5 oo THH CJj .... o o 3 ~ w a O5 i 1 m co to ire co odoi^ej ' to to in to O . to ! Ol' M '. m in H P 00 o wow^m r-l CXI O5 O5 -in OTH . . X O5 i-l to in ^ in in i-H O Co' * ^H m in to ' w ' ' n ; o c\i | ; in rt< i o t- M O O O5 o -* 05 " ' oo' o to' **! ' . . ;*2 in ' w to ^ ;q N CO * CXI CO ' ' ' ' CO in ' ' ' CvJ H H H < fc> TABLE 2. AVERAGE YIELDS OF ."S "C 3 CO Is m w| S ^*_rt S 05 tJDbCfcJD m a a o 111 11 s "S'5 - 1 * ' p I- ^ o ^ I ss 8 iliSf Griffith 's Early Dent Wisconsin No. 7 Hecker 's Red Riley 's Favorite Lockwood 's Yellow Dent. ...... o ^ I * Q 'S "S >- C o> . -u CS . P . 1 g| : ^ g JS 5 g o 2 "E i: 2 3 'Q O S 'Q f*H O ^ S O Sutton 's Favorite Golden King Native White Flint Corn 1916] YIELDS OF DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF CORN IN ILLINOIS 413 TABLE 3. COMPARABLE AVERAGE YIELDS OF VARIETIES GROWN AT DEKALB USING WESTERN PLOWMAN AS A STANDARD: 1907-1915 (Bushels per acre) Variety Total number of tests Number of years compared Years o n which comparison is based Average yield Western Plowman 36 9 1907-1915 inclusive 63 9 Funk's 90 Day 33 9 > } j > i > 58.3 Learning High Ears... Learning Low Ears .... 33 33 9 9 a J > ) > t> j > 41.5 49.9 Western Plowman 28 8 1907-1914 inclusive 670 Silvermine 30 8 tt 11 58 Western Plowman 30 7 1908-1915 inclusive except 1914 62 2 Reid's Yellow Dent. .. 38 7 ; > J > > ) ! > 11 57.9 Western Plowman 33 6 1907-1913 inclusive except 1908 65.0 Graves' Yellow Dent. . 21 6 a 11 } > 11 55.6 Western Plowman 22 6 1908-1913 inclusive 65.9 Learning 24 6 } ) j > 59.2 Western Plowman 20 6 1907-1913 inclusive except 1909 63 5 Early Golden Surprise. 22 6 > > i i 11 54.2 Western Plowman 23 5 1909-1915 except 1913 and 1914 62.4 Griffith's Early Dent.. 20 5 58.3 Western Plowman 19 5 1910-1914 inclusive 66.7 Wisconsin No. 7 20 5 } > > t 55.3 Western Plowman 23 5 1911-1915 inclusive 62.6 Hecker 's Red 20 5 > } i i 58.2 Western Plowman 20 4 1912-1915 inclusive 60.7 Riley 's Favorite 20 4 > > i i 59.0 Western Plowman 13 4 1907-1910 inclusive 65.7 Hackberry 14 4 11 52.0 Western Plowman 12 2 1914-1915 inclusive 59.7 Will County Favorite 1 . 8 2 t > > j 60.1 . Western Plowman 12 2 1914-1915 inclusive 59.7 Strout 's Red g 2 } i ) f 11 57.0 Western Plowman 7 2 1908-1909 inclusive 70.8 Champion White Pearl. 8 2 J J ) > i i 46.7 a Will County Favorite is practically the same as Western Plowman, originated in the same way. See history of Western Plowman, page 424. Both from 1901 to 1915 is given in Table 5. The yields are calculated to a uniform moisture content of 10.7 percent. Reid's Yellow Dent, Boone County White, Champion White Pearl, Learning, Silvermine, and Riley 's Favorite are leading varieties for central Illinois. Other high yielding strains commonly grown are Golden Eagle, Farmer's Inter- est, Johnson County White, and Beatty's Yellow. OTHER CENTRAL ILLINOIS TESTS In 1903 variety tests were conducted at Decatur, in Macon County ; Auburn, in Sangamon county ; and Sibley, in Ford county. The work 414 BULLETIN No. 191 [August, P '-; -r. 03 O 2 1C CO O CO rf 1C CO CO OO Oi 00 * 1C i-H 00 CM OO T}( CO 1C 00 1C Tj< CO C g ff.2 U '" Ji5 1C b- O CM -^ O5 O5 O O5 Oi r-l O b- O 00 CO Oi OO t~ 00 b- oi co' *' co' os b- OO b- O5 O5 O5 Oi Oi * O 00 Oi Oi Oi b- O5 CM rH rH (M t^ O5 00 C r-l rH 1C iH i 1 r-l CO CO ^ CO 00 1C CM CM CD 00 O O5 r-l 1C * 1C 1C 1C 1C <*!* 1C 1C TJ4 1C CO r-l 1C i-l CO 1C CO CM O5 * CO 1C CM r-l CM ; O5 IH CO CD CO CO 1C 1C * Tjl 1C * * oi o ' ' 1C -* -^ CO rH ic * rjt oo co CO 1C O O5 O b- CO t- O r-l 1C * * TJH CO *tl * CO T}i CO I-H ic" r-5 . . CM . . . . - . . - . . O5 t^ oi c o CD' l^ 1C O5 oi oi co' o ic " r-l b- b- OO OO b- t~ b- 1C b- CO t~ b- CD ' r-l r-l OO CO OO t- OO 1C Oi Oi 00 1C CM CM O CO rH .CXI b- b- 00 1C 05 r-l O5 OO CM O b- r-t r-l CM CM r-l 00 <*! 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'S . . . ft S . -s -2 *3 . .0 CO 03 p C "i o ; 2 ga > "So [S & "Si 03 g tn co co fcJD tJD , ^ -H {-( W ^^ .2 .5 .5 o Ev 1 ii^j P M O ^H (D ^H CG Oi 3 -H o ^, " m fe '3 s -J" B a 03 "^ a , co o o o 2 S .S S M O M M Pi Hill Jill! ||| II 1916] YIELDS CP DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF CORN IN ILLINOIS 415 o tD<4H 03 OO O CO CO O5 QJ 3 .~H v >- * O5 00 O5 ITS O O5 OO L^ Oi rH rH rH ' rH rH rH 05 rH CO T-H O5 rH rH O5 rH rH Tl.b- -t- ... 00 . 00 to O5 rH to' Tt< I ' ' rH ow O5 O O5 1-1 00 rH O in .CO O5 rH to O O5 rH 03 rH O5 rH -._.. CO O ... Tjj to oo O3 rH CO Ifi CO ' it t j ) > > i > > 62.0 60.3 59.2 57.4 56.1 Silvermine Riley 's Favorite Reid's Yellow Dent.. Champion White Pearl 170 66 12 12 1901 and 1905-1915 inclusive )> ) t 61.0 57.6 Reid's Yellow Dent. . Golden Eagle 171 50 13 13 1901-1907 and 1910-1915 inclusive j > ) ) > > y > 61.3 53.4 Reid's Yellow Dent.. Illinois High Protein Illinois Low Protein. . Illinois High Oil 164 36 36 36 36 13 13 13 13 13 1903-1915 inclusive >} 1 1 > t ) } 61.8 43.7 54.9 48.3 49.4 Illinois Low Oil Reid's Yellow Dent. . Learning High Ears . . Learning Low Ears. . . 157 32 32 10 10 10 1906-1915 inclusive 61.9 46.1 53.5 Reid's Yellow Dent. . Farmer 's Interest .... 22 18 5 5 1901 and 1903-1906 inclusive ) > 62.8 62.6 Reid's Yellow Dent.. Johnson County White 130 20 5 5 1902, 1903, 1909-1911 inclusive 54.4 52.3 Reid's Yellow Dent. . Beatty's Yellow 24 12 5 5 1903 and 1905-1908 inclusive 67.2 63.4 Reid's Yellow Dent. . Chinese Poor Land . . . 132 19 9 9 1903-1911 inclusive j } 61.5 54.8 at Decatur and Auburn was discontinued after 1903, but at Sibley it was continued until 1907, making a total of five years for this field. At Mattoon, in Coles county, the work was conducted during 1904 and 1905. The results of the tests are summarized in Table 6. Of the fifteen varieties tested at the places mentioned in Table 6, Reid's Yellow Dent, on an equal basis of comparison (the same num- ber of years at the same field), was out-yielded by three varieties; namely, Funk's Yellow Dent, Farmer's Interest, and White Superior. In any case, however, the difference was not marked, and not much reliance can be placed on the two years ' results from these varieties. In Table 7 are reported some of the results of the first test con- ducted in central Illinois to determine the yields of the more important varieties of corn then in use. 1 This test was started in 1888 at Ur- bana and continued until 1895. The yields are based on air-dry corn containing 11 percent of moisture. Boone County White, Champion White Pearl, and Learning were then, as now, among the highest- yielding varieties. Tor original report see Bulletin 42 of this station. YIELDS CF DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF CORN IN ILLINOIS 417 bct-i sj o "S hr cc O O * CO CO CO t- O CO CO OS O5 00 i-" 0> O o rt 1" varie O t~ CO * CO o o o o o rH in i-i m CNJ CM o o oo cs o i i o CM r-5 r-5 ; O t- 00 O iH iH t~ OS i 1 OS CO CO O3 t- t~ CO CJ i i t-- CD t~- Tt< in CM CM CM CM CM '. W I > ' CJ iH OO CO Oi O O in co o co m o t-' t^ co m co o '. '. '. '. CJ a <* in * oo oo os t- t, . . . . O i 1 06 oo' r-5 10 ; ; ; oo' CM' CO * 9 a g ? Oi O IO T-l * ... 00 ^ r a H ^^^^^ I '. '. o ; I s S CO CO O D 65.0 37.3 51.0 100.3 71.2 Learning 86.6 80.6 69.4 67.3 70.1 34.U G2.1 80.0 68.6 Burr 's White 85.9 757 077 677 64.2 38.6 69.7 79.2 68.6 Clark 's Iroquois 68.5 81.9 590 654 72.9 30.7 44.3 102.5 65.6 Legal Tender 842 689 600 568 603 33 8 570 890 63 7 Murdock 803 650 61 6 598 57 6 35.7 48 1 85 9 61 7 Edmond 's 83 7 663 559 58 6 584 28 3 543 80 1 61 4 Riley's Favorite 81.8 66.1 533 56.1 74 1 38.1 628 522 605 Boone County White 74.6 89.3 85.5 33.8 74.3 73.2 71 8 Golden Beauty 53.0 75.8 63.1 36.4 31.6 38.0 49.6 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS TESTS AT FAIRFIELD, IN WAYNE COUNTY Variety tests of corn in southern Illinois were started in 1906, when the southern crop field was established at Fairfield, in Wayne county. The field is located on gray silt loam on tight clay, which constitutes a large area of the southern third of the state and which is low in fertility. Live-stock and grain systems of farming were practiced on each division of the field; and, with respect to systems of farming and drainage, each of the varieties of corn was grown under each of four conditions each season. A summary of the results of the tests at Fairfield from 1907 to 1915 appears in Tables 8 and 9. There are no data for 1914, when there was a failure of crops due to hot winds and drouth. Data for 1906 are excluded from the table because the yields were not calculated to the same moisture content as were those for 1907 to 1915. Table 9 shows for southern Illinois what Table 3 does for northern Illinois. On a percentage basis, using Funk's 90 Day as a standard to which the other varieties are compared, the following, in the order named, yielded the highest for a minimum of four years: Funk's 90 Day, Reid's Yellow Dent, Perrine's White Pearl, and Chinese Poor Land. Other varieties, such as Sutton 's Favorite, Strout 's Red, Will County Favorite, and Western Plowman, which have been tested only one year, show a promising future. Continued experiment will es- tablish their value. RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS ON UNTREATED LAND IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS In connection with the regular work on the crop field at Fairfield, additional tests were made on untreated land close to the field. The results indicate what one would naturally expect, that varieties 1916} YIELDS OF DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF CORN IN ILLINOIS 419 l !lll O t- OS <3i CO O Oi 00 GO GO r-i co' oi t-^ in t- C5 00 00 GO n o^ '^ i>- ^ CO O5 00 OO O5 : : : : : '.'.'. I I 10 1C m CO 1C b- rH . O O5 . . . rH 00 CO OO . O5 i-H CO CM CD (M C5 CO ' * " Tj< o CO 5 * CM (M t- * * * * eo ' CO rH O CO CO t- 05 00 Tfl t- .co .in OS rH IQ Tj< *- C ^ (T< -g n^ E S 73 jj . CJ) rt E c3 2 o CO CO t~ r C3 O s O i5)TH ^ S pj .2 9 S u& eo Strout's Red Will County Favorite Western Plowman. . . Hecker 's Red Pride of the North 420 BULLETIN No. 191 [August, TABLE 9. COMPARABLE AVERAGE YIELDS OF VARIETIES GROWN AT FAIRFIELD USING FUNK'S 90 DAY AS A STANDARD: 1907-1915 (Bushels per acre) Variety Total number of tests Number of years compared Years o n which comparison is based Average yield Funk 's 90 L>ay 30 8 1907-1915 except 1914 41.0 Eeid's Yellow Dent... Champion White Pearl. 30 64 30 8 8 8 > > j > ; > > > } > 39.8 36.6 36.6 Learning Low Ears.... Learning High Ears. . . 29 29 8 8 i > > ? > > > 34.1 29.1 Funk's 90 Day .... 26 7 1907-1913 inclusive 40.6 Perrine's White Pearl. Graves' Yellow Dent. . Easterly 's White 26 26 26 7 7 7 j ) > > 38.0 36.5 35.7 Funk 's 90 Day 26 7 1907-1915 except 1909 and 1914 42.0 Boone County White. . 26 7 > > ; j } ! ) } > > n 35.9 Funk 's 90 Day 26 7 1907-1915 except 1912 and 1914 39.8 Kiley 's Favorite 26 7 > j > > j ) 34.0 Funk 's 90 Day 14 4 1907-1911 except 1908 47.8 Chinese Poor Land .... 14 4 j > > > it )) 47.6 Funk's 90 Day 14 4 1907-1909 inclusive and 1913 338 Golden Eagle 14 4 t > 28.6 Funk 's 90 Day 12 3 1908-1910 inclusive 47.8 Native White 12 3 41.6 Funk's 90 Day 8 2 1912 and 1913 27.4 Learning 8 2 j> 25.8 Funk's 90 Day 2 1 1907 57.8 Pride of the North Hickory King 2 2 1 1 > > > j 30.2 30.2 Worthen's White 2 1 52.3 Funk's 90 Day 4 1 1912 49.7 Eed, White and Blue. . Einard 's Native 4 4 1 1 1 9 41.1 49.8 Funk's 90 Day 4 1 1915 43.5 Sutton 's Favorite .... Strout 's Eed 4 4 1 1 j> 47.0 44.1 Will County Favorite. . Western Plowman 4 4 1 1 % 42.8 42.6 Hecker's Eed 4 1 37.8 grown commonly in southern Illinois and adapted to the soil out-yield those which give the best results under less adverse conditions. The results are presented in Table 10. Further information on this point is obtained by examining the yields of Funk's 90 Day and Champion White Pearl produced in 1915 on treated and on untreated land, as presented in Table 11. At Newton, Champion White Pearl gave better returns on the untreated land than Funk's 90 Day, and on all the treated plots, except in one instance, it produced more corn than Funk's 90 Day. At Ob- 1916] YIELDS OF DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF CORN IN ILLINOIS 421 TABLE 10. YIELDS OF VARIETIES ON UNTREATED LAND AT F AIRFIELD: (Bushels per acre, 75 pounds of ear corn to the bushel) 1911-1913 Variety 1911 1912 1913 3-year average Champion White Pearl 15.3 5.3 5.5 8.7 Perrine 's White Pearl 11.0 6.6 6.7 8.1 Easterly 's White 10.2 7.7 5.8 7.9 Reid's Yellow Dent 9.2 5.8 5.1 6.7 Boone County White 9.9 3.0 6.7 6.5 Funk's 90 Day 8.1 5.1 5.4 6.2 Silvermine 7.7 4.5 5.1 5.8 Graves' Yellow Dent 8.7 3.9 4.4 5.7 Learning Low Ears 7.0 3.1 4.2 4.8 Riley 's Favorite 8.4 6.0 Learning 7.4 4.6 Rinard's White Prolific 12.8 Chinese Poor Land 12.2 Rinard's Yellow Prize Winner 11.9 Red, White and Blue 5.5 Golden Eagle . 5.1 Learning High Ears 4.0 Rinard 's Native 4.0 .. TABLE 11. AVERAGE YIELDS OF FUNK'S 90 DAY AND CHAMPION WHITE PEARL ON TREATED AND ON UNTREATED LAND: 1915 (Bushels per acre) Newtoi i field Oblon y field No. Treatment Funk's 90 Day Champion White Pearl Funk's 90 Day Champion White Pearl 101 O 1 4.0 4.8 23.2 39.8 102 M 5.2 4.0 40.4 50.2 103 ML 13.2 18.0 50.6 53.0 104 MLP : 15.2 20.0 43.4 59.6 105 8.4 9.6 20.8 36.0 106 R 5.6 10.0 24.4 37.4 107 RL 11.2 20.0 38.0 46.6 108 RLP 16.0 21.2 46.4 52.4 109 RLPK 16.8 20.0 54.4 58.6 110 1.6 4.0 16.0 30.6 *0=no treatment; L=limestone ; K=potassium; phosphorus; R=crop residues. M=rfarin manure; P= long, Champion White Pearl produced decidedly higher yields than Funk's 90 Day on all plots, both treated and untreated. Champion White Pearl, Perrine 's White Pearl, and Easterly's White varieties have been grown in southern Illinois until they have become well adapted to conditions obtaining there. Varieties such as Reid 's Yellow Dent and Funk 's 90 Day, which have been grown under the more favorable soil conditions of central Illinois, cannot compete with adapted varieties on the poor land of southern Illinois. But 422 BULLETIN No. 191 [August, where the soil is enriched, they produce, in favorable seasons, larger yields than the varieties commonly found in that section, as may readily be seen from Table 8. A BRIEF HISTORY OF CERTAIN VARIETIES OF CORN It is impossible to give a detailed account of the origin and develop- ment of all the varieties of corn mentioned in this bulletin, because, in many cases, nothing is known concerning the source of the different types. Boone County White was originated by Mr. James Riley of In- diana in 1876. The parent type was known as White Mastodon, which was a coarse, late-maturing variety. In 1882 some of the seed was brought to Champaign county by Mr. 0. C. Black. The variety ma- tures in 115 to 125 days. Champion White Pearl originated thru the crossing and recross- ing of several varieties of dent corn from different states. Mr. James C. Suffern of Piatt county, Illinois, states that he used for the cross Hickory King, Ohio White Dent, Wisconsin White Dent, White Nor- mandy (from Missouri), and about ten other varieties from Iowa, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Kansas, Kentucky, and Nebraska. The crossing processes were followed by about twenty years of con- tinuous systematic selection. This variety matures in about 110 to 115 days. Chinese Poor Land was brought to this country from China about 1898. It is a white variety, and matures in 100 to 115 days. The seed was furnished the Station by Mr. George Olendorph of Marion county, Illinois. Easterly's White was developed from Boone County White. The original seed was secured from Mr. A. P. Grout in 1901. Mr. H. G. Easterly of Jackson county, Illinois, changed the name to Easterly's White. Ordinarily the variety develops fully in 115 to 125 days. Funk's 90 Day was originated from one-half bushel of a variety known as Little Early Murdock. Mr. E. D. Funk purchased the seed from the University of Illinois in 1892 and began to improve it in 1901. It is a yellow variety which matures in about 90 to 100 days. Golden Eagle was originated by Mr. H. B. Perry of Stark county, Illinois, by selecting seed from the so-called Mason County Yellow corn, beginning in 1871. It matures in about 110 days from the time of planting. Golden Glow was produced by crossing Wisconsin No. 8 and a variety of yellow corn known as North Star. Professor R. A. Moore of the University of Wisconsin states that the result of this cross was perfected by putting it thru an ear-to-row test for about ten years. In Wisconsin this is one of the most widely known varieties and is one of the earliest maturing in that section. 1916] YIELDS CF DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF CORN IN ILLINOIS 423 Golden King was first selected thirty years ago from a variety known as Hamm corn. Mr. W. L. Mills of Putnam county, Illinois, purchased seed of this variety about twenty years ago and produced a cross with Learning. For about ten years Mr. Mills has grown this hybrid corn with success. From 110 to 125 days are necessary for its full development. Golden Surprise is the result of a hybrid which was originated in 1890 by Mr. Simon Bell and son, of Perry county, Ohio. The\ya- riety was produced by crossing an unknown type and a small-eared, amber-colored corn known as Shoepeg. This variety matures in about 100 days. Griffith's Early Dent was produced by Mr. H. K. Smith, after whom it was named Smith 's Yellow Dent. It is the result of a cross of Pride of the North and a variety known as Coe, which was brought from Ohio about sixty years ago. The variety produced by the cross mentioned matures in about 95 to 100 days, and is a yellow corn, larger than Pride of the North. After Mr. Smith's death, Mr. W. G. Griffith took charge of the improvement of this variety and changed the name to Griffith's Early Dent. Learning is said to be the oldest improved variety of corn. It was originated by Mr. J. S. Learning of Wilmington, Ohio, in 1826. At that time Mr. Learning began selecting seed from the ordinary yellow corn grown on the Little Miami bottoms, Hamilton county, Ohio, and selected toward a standard type for fifty-six years, after which the work was continued by his son, J. S. Learning, Jr. This is a yellow corn which matures in about 110 days. Murdoch's Telloiv Dent is a favorite early corn for southern Wis- consin, where, it is said, this variety has been grown longer than any- other. It has been improved by the University of Wisconsin and by farmers of the state until it has reached a rather high degree of pro- ductivity. Perrine's White Pearl has been 'grown for about twelve years by Mr. G. D. Perrine and sons of Marion county, Illinois. The original seed was purchased from a dealer in Coles county. Usually this va- riety matures in 115 to 125 days. Reid's Telloiv Dent was originated by Mr. Robert Reid, who, in 1846, brought a rather late maturing variety known as Gordon Hop- kins corn, from Brown county, Ohio, to Tazewell county, Illinois. This corn was reddish colored, and was widely grown in the vicinity in which Mr. Reid lived. The seed was planted near Delavan, Illinois, late in the spring of 1846, and a fair yield of immature corn was harvested. From this, seed was selected for the following crop, but on account of immaturity a poor stand resulted. In the spring of 1847, missing hills were replanted with seed of a little yellow corn, a rather early-maturing variety grown quite generally in Tazewell county at that time. By this replanting it is supposed that a cross 424 BULLETIN No. 191 was produced between the two varieties. Seed from this crop fur- nished the foundation for Reid's Yellow Dent, which has been in the hands of members of the Reid family until very recently. It ma- tures in about 110 to 120 days. Riley's Favorite was originated in 1883 by Mr. James Riley of Indiana, who developed Boone County White. It is the result of a cross between Golden Yellow, a large, late corn, and Pride of the North, a small, early corn. As a rule, 100 to 110 days are required for maturing. Silvermine, later known as Iowa Silvermine, was originated by Mr. J. H. Beagley of Ford county, Illinois, from seed selected from a prize-winning exhibit of white corn at the Ford County Farmers' Institute in 1890. After sufficient corn had been grown to plant a twenty-acre field, the crop was sold to the Iowa Seed Company, who named the variety Iowa Silvermine, and sold large quantities of the .seed to Illinois farmers. This variety has been developed by selection, and no crossing or mixing of varieties has ocurred. It is a white corn, and requires 100 to 110 days for maturing. Strout's Red was developed from -a variety called Molasses. Origi- nally the color ranged from deep red to almost black. Some ears were dingy white. Mr. E. J. Strout, of LaSalle county, Illinois, has given this variety special attention during the last sixteen years. It matures in 100 to 105 days. Button's Favorite was introduced into Marion county from Cass county, Illinois, by Mr. T. N. Sutton, in about 1875. The variety has not been materially changed from the time of its early introduction. Details of the early history of this corn are very meager, but the par- ent strain seems to have been known as Faulkner. It is a white corn and matures in about 115 to 125 days. Western Plowman and Will County Favorite were originated about twenty years ago by Mr. William Green and Mr. William Webb. These men were seeking an early-maturing corn which would be suitable for conditions in Will county, Illinois. Mr. Green was at that time grow- ing a rather coarse yellow corn which he called Western Plowman. This strain was late, but it was a heavy yielder when the seasons were long enough for full maturing. Mr. Webb was growing a variety known as Golden Yellow Dent. This was an attractive early corn, but the ears were very small. Western Plowman, Golden Yellow Dent, and a variety known as Edmond's were mixed, and grown so that crossing would result, and from the harvest of this triple combination Mr. Green and Mr. Webb each took a half -bushel of seed. The former assigned to his strain the name of Western Plowman, and the latter, Will County Favorite. Both men afterwards continued to select and breed the corn until the strains were properly developed. Both va- rieties are yellow and mature fairly early. -65 7 i f ' UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA