The breeding of popcorn for seed purposes can best be done by growing the seed corn in a part of a hl by itself that can be given a little extra fertilizing and care. The seed with which it is planted should be from typical ears that are as uniform in size, shape and color as possible, since they are to be the foundation stock from which the future strain of seed corn is to be developed.
After planting the breeding plot, the only extra work necessary is to go through the plot just before the tassels begin to shed their pollen and remove the tassels and ears from those stalks which are barren or otherwise inferior. Then, when the corn is ripe. by careful selection of seed ears from the best of those remaining and with proper hand ling and storing the results are sure to follow.
Place is the rotation. • When grown in a regular rotation of crops, popcorn usually takes the place of the ordinary field corn and for much the same reasons, although frequently it is grown in place of one of the "money" crops, such as potatoes. This is often the case when the soil is too heavy fur potatoes. The rotation then has to he arranged so that the popcorn and field corn are not grown in adjoining fields, as the pollen is carried by the wind and they become mixed very easily, which affects the quality and appearance of the popcorn.
the main crop the seed should be planted about May 25 to June 5 in the latitude of central New York, or as soon as danger of frost has passed and the ground has warmed up so that the seed will germinate and not rot. The seed-bed should be thoroughly harrowed and pulverized. The planting should be done with a corn-planter or an ordinary grain drill, making the rows three and one-half feet apart and dropping the kernels every six to eight inches in the row.
Subsequent field should be rolled im mediately after planting ; and it should be gone over cross-wise of the rows with a light slant-tooth harrow or weeder every five or six days until the corn is six or eight inches high. This will tear out a little of the corn, but more than was needed has been sown to allow for this. It is a large number of well-developed ears rather than stalks that we are trying to obtain. This work with the harrow
or weeder will save the expensive hand labor with a hoe. The horse cultivator should now be used at least every ten days, and oftener if necessary to break up a crusted surface after a rain. This should be kept up as long as practicable ; it should be shallow, not over two inches deep, unless after long-continued rains, when it is sometimes advis able to cultivate deep to get air into the compact soil quickly.
Popcorn ripens in one hundred to one hundred and thirty-five days from planting, according to the variety, weather conditions, climate and other factors. The maturity can be hastened to some ex tent by using an abundance of phosphatic fertil izer ; on the other hand, it is retarded by the use of large quantities of stable manure, which gives an excess of nitrogen late in the season. It is es pecially important that popcorn should ripen before frost conies, since if it is injured for popping it has little value for anything else. Nevertheless, the custom is general among growers in the eastern states to allow it to stand after ripening until the first frost comes before cutting it, as it is thought that the frost hardens it and improves its popping qualities.
Harvesting and is harvested either with one of the improved corn harvesters or else by hand with the old-fashioned corn knife ; in either case it is stood up in loose shocks in the field and tied with stalks or twine and left to dry and cure before husking. It is husked by hand. Where four cents per bushel of ears is paid for husking field corn, six cents per bushel of ears is usually paid for husking popcorn, as the ears are so much smaller.
After husking, if the corn is to be stored it is immediately placed in well-ventilated cribs in which it is protected from squirrels, rats, mice and other vermin. This is usually accomplished by lining the inside of an ordinary corn-crib with woven wire netting (one-fourth inch mesh) and hav ing the crib built up on posts, each one of which has an inverted milk pan or some similar contrivance on top to keep the mice from climbing the posts and gnawing holes through the floor of the crib.