The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-03-18
OUR FARM BUDGET.
Change of Color in Corn-Treatment Of
the Wheat Field.
The Great Canadian Sheep
acknowledgements
Trees.
Potash for the YelIows-Start the Orchard
-Manuring the Orcha-c-Household
Hints and Farm Notes.
Change of Color in Corn.
philadelphia Record. ]

Change of Color in Corn.
philadelphia Record
Corn, like other grasses, is fertilized by
the action of the wind, which carries the
pollen from the male to the female organs.
The chief difference between corn and other
grasses proceeds from the separation Of the
male and female organs into separate forets,
the former gathered into a terminal punicle,
while the latter form spike lower down
upon the stalk, in the axel OF a leaf, and
itself inclosed in leaves or bracts. It is evil
dent that this arrangement is well adapted
70 favor eross-fertilizstion. since pollen from
the male flowers of an adjoining plant is
Just as likely to reach the spike of female
flowers IS pollen from the same plant. 1t
has, therefore, usually been assumed that
tue occasional presence of red ears in a
field Of yellow or white corn, or Of white and
yellow ears in the same field, was caused by
Decentralization through the agency OF the
wind. 1t is true that yellow and white grains,
or red and yellow grains, have been found
upon the same ear, but this by no means dis
proves the idea of cross-fertilizstion, since
each spike Ia made up Of many 1Orets, and
there is no reason why all should be fertilizsd
BY The Same pollen from the same plant. On
December 10 of last year Mr.. Thomas Meehan
exhibited at the Philadelphia Academy OF
Natural Sciences ear of Indian corn, one
SIDE Of which had creamy white grains OF
normal color, while nearly all the other side
was occupied by brownish red grains.
red the other half yellow, or a stripe OF red
across the yellow. Mr.. Meehan contsnded
that this could not be caused by cross -fertiI-
izstion, since, because of the way in which
tle silk-like pistlls are entsngled, such reg
ulsrity of colering is impossible More
over, it seems very unlikely that two diff
fsreDt polIen-grains should find their Wsy
through the long pistil to the same
Ovule. 1t looked as though the coloring had
spread from some central point, quite ire
spectiye of the boundaries OF the several
gains, until the power was exhausted. Mr..
Meehan mentioned similar phenomena in
her plants. he found q plant of partridge
berry (Mitchella Tepens) with white berries.
and removed portion to his grounds. This
portion bore DO fruit, on account OF the
absence of pollen-besring plants, while the
portion left in the woods continued 10 bear
white berries, though it must have been
fertilized with pollen from the original
scarlet berried form, since this species is
really diecio1s; that is, bears male and fe-
male flowers on separate plants. Mr.. Meehan
argues that there may "be a doubt whether
the variation in corn, often attributed to
crossfertiliZation, may not, in some cases,
concludes with the remark that the belief in
the immediate influence of strange pollen is
a reasonable one so far as general observa-
ton goes, but that, as no carefully con-
Quoted experiments seem to have been made,
Ii is we'll to wait for them. 1t NAV be re.
marked that the inmate power to vary" in
voked by Mr.. Meehan is bat another mode
of saying "causes to Us unknown" since any
innate power must be the result of trans
mitted characters, which must have been
produced by the environment of the an
c6stral plants.
A correspondent of the Record (R. C.F.)
claims to have solved the problem. He as.
serts that by treating plants in a certain
manner, by supplying lacking elements to
the plants, variation in color can be pro-
duced. he thus details his experiment.:
"Some of she same seed, not treated. had
planted the season before, and found no
change of color. 1t was much attacked by
smut, nearly every other stalk being affected.
In the last experiment not one stalk showed
any signs Of smut, and 20 per cent produced
ears of a full, plump grain, different to the
original seed sOwn, which was dent corn.
1t was on these altered ears only that got
the various cOlors. The remaining so per
cent. showed no particular change in color,
In form OF grain or in time of ripening. This
so per cent ripened three weeks later than
the 20 per cent, which consider improved,
and from which am sure Of healthier
SiSdtSI anu 6drllueS5
in EpeDing.
It is evident that this experiment proves
nothing either for or against the theory that
the change of color is produced by fertiliza-
ton from the pollen of stalks bearing red
ears. No care seems to have been taken to
prevent the access Of pollen borne from
other sources, and wind-borne pollen flies
q long way. The good ears might have been
those which were fertilizsd by pollen from
neighboring fields, while the poorer ones
fortified by pollen from the same field, and
could not thus be expected 70 be greatly bet
ter than the parent crop. Moreover, il the
manure or method Of treatment made the
difference, why were only 20 per cent of the
ears improved To conclude, cross-fertilizs
tion seems to be the most probable eau OF
variation in color. The patti 'colored grains
do not dispose of this idea, for each grain,
like an animal, has two parents, and we oan
readily conceive that some grains fertilizs ID
by the pollen of the red variety. yet in close
proximity to yellow grains might only par
tally change from the mother form uRder
the iufueuca of fertiliz atiOn