﻿Inconstancy 
  of 
  Improved 
  Races 
  781 
  

  

  size 
  of 
  the 
  grains 
  decreases, 
  the 
  total 
  amount 
  

   of 
  nourishment 
  available 
  for 
  all 
  of 
  them 
  

   remaining 
  about 
  the 
  same. 
  Thus 
  the 
  

   kernels 
  and 
  consequently 
  the 
  new 
  plants 
  be- 
  

   came 
  smaller 
  and 
  weaker, 
  and 
  the 
  chance 
  

   of 
  fertilization 
  was 
  diminished 
  in 
  the 
  ears 
  

   with 
  the 
  highest 
  number 
  of 
  rows. 
  Conse- 
  

   quently 
  the 
  choice 
  was 
  limited, 
  and 
  after 
  having 
  

   twice 
  chosen 
  a 
  spike 
  with 
  20 
  and 
  once 
  one 
  with 
  

   24 
  rows, 
  I 
  finally 
  preferred 
  those 
  with 
  the 
  inter- 
  

   mediate 
  number 
  of 
  22. 
  

  

  This 
  repeated 
  choice 
  has 
  brought 
  the 
  aver- 
  

   age 
  of 
  my 
  race 
  up 
  from 
  13 
  to 
  20, 
  and 
  thus 
  to 
  the 
  

   extreme 
  limit 
  of 
  the 
  original 
  variety. 
  Seven 
  

   years 
  were 
  required 
  to 
  attain 
  this 
  result, 
  or 
  on 
  

   an 
  average 
  the 
  progression 
  was 
  one 
  row 
  in 
  a 
  

   year. 
  This 
  augmentation 
  was 
  accompanied 
  by 
  

   an 
  accompanying 
  movement 
  of 
  the 
  whole 
  group 
  

   in 
  the 
  same 
  direction. 
  The 
  extreme 
  on 
  the 
  side 
  

   of 
  the 
  small 
  numbers 
  came 
  up 
  from 
  8 
  to 
  12 
  

   rows, 
  and 
  cobs 
  with 
  8 
  or 
  10 
  rows 
  did 
  not 
  appear 
  

   in 
  my 
  race 
  later 
  than 
  the 
  third 
  generation. 
  On 
  

   the 
  other 
  side 
  the 
  extreme 
  reached 
  28, 
  a 
  figure 
  

   never 
  reached 
  by 
  the 
  original 
  variety 
  as 
  culti- 
  

   vated 
  with 
  us, 
  and 
  ears 
  with 
  24 
  and 
  26 
  rows 
  

   have 
  been 
  seen 
  during 
  the 
  four 
  last 
  generations 
  

   in 
  increasing 
  numbers. 
  

  

  This 
  slow 
  and 
  gradual 
  amelioration 
  was 
  part- 
  

   ly 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  mode 
  of 
  pollination 
  of 
  the 
  corn. 
  

  

  