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  Retrograde 
  Varieties 
  

  

  seedling 
  and 
  therefore 
  to 
  the 
  following 
  genera- 
  

   tion. 
  Fruit-characters 
  thus 
  do 
  not 
  offer 
  the 
  

   qualities 
  we 
  need, 
  only 
  the 
  qualities 
  resulting 
  

   from 
  fertilizations 
  are 
  characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  new 
  

   generation. 
  Such 
  attributes 
  are 
  afforded 
  in 
  

   some 
  cases 
  by 
  the 
  color, 
  in 
  others 
  by 
  the 
  chem- 
  

   ical 
  constitution. 
  

  

  We 
  will 
  choose 
  the 
  latter, 
  and 
  take 
  the 
  sugar- 
  

   corn 
  in 
  comparison 
  with 
  the 
  ordinary 
  or 
  starch- 
  

   producing 
  forms 
  for 
  our 
  starting 
  point. 
  Both 
  

   sugar- 
  and 
  starch-corns 
  have 
  smooth 
  fruits 
  when 
  

   ripening. 
  No 
  difference 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  

   young 
  ripe 
  spikes. 
  Only 
  the 
  taste, 
  or 
  a 
  direct 
  

   chemical 
  analysis 
  might 
  reveal 
  the 
  dissimilar- 
  

   ity. 
  But 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  spikes 
  are 
  dried, 
  a 
  

   diversity 
  is 
  apparent. 
  The 
  starchy 
  grains 
  re- 
  

   main 
  smooth, 
  but 
  the 
  sugary 
  kernels 
  lose 
  so 
  

   much 
  water 
  that 
  they 
  become 
  wrinkled. 
  The 
  

   former 
  becomes 
  opaque, 
  the 
  latter 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  

   transparent. 
  Every 
  single 
  kernel 
  may 
  in- 
  

   stantly 
  be 
  recognized 
  as 
  belonging 
  to 
  either 
  of 
  

   the 
  types 
  in 
  question, 
  even 
  if 
  but 
  a 
  single 
  grain 
  

   of 
  the 
  opposite 
  quality 
  might 
  be 
  met 
  with 
  on 
  a 
  

   spike. 
  Kernels 
  can 
  be 
  counted 
  on 
  the 
  spike, 
  

   and 
  since 
  ordinary 
  spikes 
  may 
  bear 
  from 
  300- 
  

   500 
  grains 
  and 
  often 
  more, 
  the 
  numerical 
  rela- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  types 
  may 
  be 
  deduced 
  with 
  

   great 
  accuracy. 
  

  

  Coming 
  now 
  to 
  our 
  experiment, 
  both 
  starchy 
  

  

  