GENERAL INTRODUCTION,
M a i z e , o r c o r n a s i t i s m or e commo nly known i n Am e ri c a ,
p r o b a b l y o r i g i n a t e d i n M e x i c o , wh e n c e i t h a s b e e n s p r e a d b y t h e a g e n c y
of man t h o u g h o u t much o f t h e t r o p i c a l a nd s u b - t r o p i c a l w o r l d .
Its
inabi lit y to withstand fro st has been a sufficient barrier to the
extended growth of the crop in the colder climates of the world.
T h e r e i s n o d o u b t , h o we v e r , t h a t i n c r e a s i n g l y l a r g e r a r e a s c o n t i n u e
to be produced within the tropics: indeed the tropics a re said to
produce better maize,(1) given suitable physical conditions and accli­
m a t i z e d v a r i e t i e s , t h a n d o mo r e t e m p e r a t e c l i m a t e s .
M a i z e h a s b e e n gr ow n f o r c e n t u r i e s i n t h e West I n d i e s ,
i n c l u d i n g T r i n i d a d , a n d v a r i e t i e s h a v e become w e l l a c c l i m a t i z e d
w h i l e p h y s i c a l c o n d i t i o n s may b e r e g a r d e d a s a l l o w i n g o f t h e g r o w t h
of good crops.
D e s p i t e t h i s , much o f t h e ma i z e grown i n T r i n i d a d
r e s u l t s i n v e r y p o o r and o f t e n u n s i g h t l y y i e l d s o f g r a i n wh i c h i n d i ­
c a t e t h e n e c e s s i t y of some f o r m o f i mp r o v e me n t .
T h i s n e e d may b e
w e l l a p p r e c i a t e d b y e ve n t h e m o st c u r s o r y e x a m j na t i o n o f a l m o s t a ny
collection of harvested ears or of the ears offered for sale in the
local native markets.
One i s f o r c i b l y s t r u c k b y t h e l a c k o f u n i ­
f o r m i t y i n s u c h c h a r a c t e r s a s s i z e , c o l o u r and r i p e n e s s .
I t would
b e a b s u r d t o a t t e m p t t o a s c r i b e t h i s u n e v e n - n e s s t o s o many known
a n d w e l l d e f i n e d i n i m i c a l a g e n c i e s b e c a u s e t h e number a nd e x t e n t of
f a c t o r s u n f a v o u r a b l e t o g r o w t h i s n o t we 11 e no u g h a p p r e c i a t e d y e t t o
warrant such certainty.
One t h i n g t h a t i s c e r t a i n i s t h a t good c r o p s
cannot be expected t o grow from poor seed.
The proof of t his state­
m e nt l i e s i n t h e a c c u m u l a t e d e x p e r i e n c e o f g e n e r a t i o n s o f men who
h a v e l i v e d b y en d e a v o u r i n g t o a s s i s t N a t u r e t o p r o d u c e t h e f r u i t s of
l
the earth.
I n v a r i a b l y , t h e f i r s t s t e p i n t h e i m p r o ve me nt o f a c r o p ,
w hi c h i s a l r e a d y e s t a b l i s h e d i n a c o u n t r y , i s t h e s e l e c t i o n o f goo d
seed for fut ure pla nting.
I t i s w i t h t h e m e t h od s o f s e l e c t i o n c a r ­
r i e d o u t a t t h e I m p e r i a l C o l l e g e f o r t h e I mp r o ve me nt o f ma i z e grown
under Trinidad conditions that t hi s paper i s concerned.
I t may b e
me n t i o n e d h e r e t h a t s i m i l a r e x p e r i m e n t s ( 2 a & 2 b ) w e re s t a r t e d a t
t h e C o l l e g e som e y e a r s a g o b u t t h e y we r e d i s c o n t i n u e d f o r s e v e r a l
years u nt il i t was decided t o restore them during the present ses­
sion.
I t i s to be hoped that these experiments will lead to the
production of better yielding strains, while i t i s suggested that
t h e C o l l e g e m i g h t b e a c e n t r e f r o m wh i c h t h e l o c a l m a i z e gr o w e r s
could obtain superior seed for planting, thereby attaining, with
d u e a t t e n t i o n t o good a g r i c u l t u r a l p r a c t i c e , b e t t e r r e t u r n s f r o m
t h e i r ma i z e p l o t s .
T h e p a p e r i s d i v i d e d i n t o tw o m a i n s e c t i o n s .
T he
f i r s t s e c t i o n c o n s i s t s of' a d i s c u s s i o n 01 t h e m e th od s o f s e l e c t i o n
w h i c h a r e a t p r e s e n t b e i n g g e n e r a l l y p r a c t i s e d i n m a i z e i mp r o v e ­
m en t .
T h e s e c o n d s e c t i o n i s a n a c c o u n t o f t h e e x p e r i m e n t a l work
o n ma i z e s e l e c t i o n w h ic h h a s b e e n c a r r i e d o u t a t t h e I m p e r i a l C o l ­
l e g e o f T r o p i c a l a g r i c u l t u r e d u r i n g t h e s e s s i o n 1 9 3 1 - 3 2 b y D. F .
Ruston and the writer.