1. Flint and Dent Corn. The improved yellow corn, Maiz Amarillo VENEZUELA-1, which is being distributed to the farmers of this country for commercial production, is neither dent nor flint corn but rather an intermediate between the two, with variations toward both extremes. This intermediate type, often referred to as tropical flint, is preferred to dent corn because it is more resistant to damage by the ever-present grain weevil.

Considerable difficulty has been encountered in maintaining this variety as a tropical flint. The farmers who make no selection in their corn complain that after two or three generations VENEZUELA-1 degenerates, that is, the amount of soft starch increases. Even in the Experiment Station where there has been selection for tropical flint ears during the past eight generations, the soft starch type reappears in considerable quantity at each harvest. The ears of the true flint type are scarce.

In this connection it is worthy to note that the dent corn from the United States and from Argentina become extremely soft under these conditions and little hard starch is developed.