Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-04-10
FOR THE FARMER.
Experiments with Indian Corn.

results OF his experiments IN cross Ter
tilization OF Indian corn:
On May 16, 1876 kinds of corn We're
planted in the gardeE, with the in
tention of promoting the cross fer
tilization OF the varieties IN order to
study the effects. The seed used was
some Of it selected on account of its
purity; other seed was from named
varieties; still other seed from varie
ties purposely hybridizsd, or presum-
ed from their appears nee or location
on the ear to be hybrldized; and seed
which possessed peculiarities IN APP
pearance. The types presented were
the three kinds of pop corn, the flint
pop, the pearl pop, ard the rice pop;
the flint Is eightrowed aud twelve
rowed varieties, ard soft or Tuscaror-
as; the sweets in two or more types OF
ear, the one corresponding to the flint,
another to the dent corn ear; and the
dents also in two or more types, and
eightrowed with broad kernel, and
another the many rowed, with deep
kernel. We also had pod or husk
corn.
Through a study of the copy from
these various seeds. we are enabled to
make some general conclusions, which
probably are sufficient to geueralize
from, but which certainly apply to the
case in his hand.
The seed of the preceding year
gives uniformity of ear; that is, a
dent corn seed may produce an eight
rowed dent, or an eighteen-rowed
dent but each ear will be perfect of
its kind, and will be free from kernels
Of other tpve than its own. The flint
corn kernel may produce several
varieties of flint corn ear, or dent corn
ear, but there Will be no variety in
the kernel upon the ear; dent corn
seed may furnish q sweet Scorn ear,
but not mixed upon the cob. \ pop
corn kernel may produce a sweet corn
/ tpye sweet corn ear OF popcorn
type, or a popcorn ear of the various
/ types, without admiXtme Of kernels
upon the ears.
On the other;hand, hybridization of
I the current year produces changes in
! the kernels of various cOlors, and OF
various types, the tendency, however,
being for the shape Of the kernel
to be governed by the type of the
maize ear upon which it is found.
The appearance of various types
upon an ear allow of some curious
concentrations. Thus, the rice pop
kernel form does not appear upon ears
of other character, nor does the pearl
pop kernel form appear upon the rice
4 pop ear. The flint pop does not seem
to appear upon either the rice or the
pearl pop type, so far as form is con
cerned, but its structure, however, IN
fuences. Sweet corn, however, APP
pears upon the three types of popcorn
indiscrminately But, on the Other
hand, the pop-corns do not appear
upon the flint corn ears. Whilo film
corn appears abundantly on sweet
corn ears, on the other hand, sweet
corn does not appear upon the film
corns. Dent corn kernels will appear
upon the sweet corn whose type o.
ear is that of the dent ear, but no
upon sweet corn whose type is tina
of the flint ear. The dent corn, again
does not appear upon the flint ear
but in some isolated instances the
flint corn kernel may appear upon the
dent ear
The appearances of kernels Of ONE
variety upon ears of another variety
for each of the types, is of frequent
and constant occurrence, except IN
the case of red ears. The red ears
have a csnstancy of color which Is
truly remarkable; where sweet corn
appears upon red pop and red dent
ears the sweet corn .partakes OF the red
color.
The practical value of these deduc
tons consists in the guide they afford
towards the improvement of the va
rieties of corn that we grow For in
stance: by planting in adjoining hills
or, better still, the mixed seed Of two
varieties of corn, one Of which is dis
tinguished by its length of ear and
smallness Of cob. and the other for
the large size of its kernel we should
anticipate, in many instances, the
transfer Of the large kernel to the
small ear and Of the small kernel to
the large ear. BY selecting from the
crop those ears which have length and
the large kernel. we should anticipate
by a series of selections, the attaining
Of new variety in which the large
kernel and length of cob would be
persistent. The same remarks hold
true with the dent corns.
But in the matter Of selection the
true principle would seem to be to
plant but one kernel Of the desired
type from an ear of the desired type,
and to keep the plant from this ker-
mel free from the influence Of plants OF
another type, and securing the crou
through self-fertilization. After the
first year Of this procedure, by the
selection of two or more kernels OF
the same type from different plants,
cross fertilization should be used, the
crop being gradually purified by
selection.
/ While the maize plant, as a rule, is
not self fortified, that is, as a general
thing the pollen from one plant fer
tilizes the silk of another yet in very
many cases the pollen and the silk
upon the same plant is synchronus,
and naturalization becomes possible,