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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



Fig. 4. Ear of Boone County White Dent Maize, with perfect flowers. 



was a very fine specimen. 



The ear 



to type. The ear was about six to eight inches in length and of normal 

 appearance, except that each seed had three fully developed stamens, 

 arising from near the base. The plant, however, was very peculiar in 

 •■appearance, as shown in Fig. 3. The plants were about five feet in 

 lieight, the stem short jointed, with broad leathery leaves, resembling 

 tobacco plants as much as corn plants. Professor Emerson, of this sta- 

 tion, has had hermaphrodite plants occur in several of his corn hybrids 

 and in all cases they have had this peculiar type of foliage. If this type 

 should be a reversion toward the primitive type it would be of great in- 

 terest, since we have no grass plant at present having this appearance. 



Fig. 5. Cross-section of Ear in Fig. 4, showing stamens at near base of kernels. 

 Practically every kernel had three well-developed stamens. 



