450 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



AN EXPERIMENT >VITII YELLOW DENT. 



Before leaving this subject I want to show you some corn which is the result 

 of tliis experiment. In the spring of 1877 I planted r small piece of a small, 

 early, eight-rowed, Yellow-Dent corn, called Yankee or Jersey Dent. In the 

 midst of this piece I planted a single row of smut-nose, Yellow Flint corn. 

 Before flowering, the tassels of the Flint corn were carefully and thoroughly 

 removed. The Flint corn was a trifle earlier thon the Dent, so the fertiliza- 

 tion of tlie Flint corn was imperfect. There was scarcely a full ear in the 

 lot, but all that there was looked just like Flint corn. There was no sign of 

 any cross with the Dent. This Flint corn, which I know was crossed, was 

 planted by itself this summer, and here I show you some of the ears. There 

 are all grades, from what looks like pure Flint corn to pure Yankee Dent corn. 

 The pollen or male element produces a marked effect and should be attended to. 



CROSS-BREEDING PLANTS. 



There are some difficulties in explaining this clearly to any who have no 

 knowledge of botany, but I will not go into details nor attempt anything which 

 I cannot make plain. I have already spoken of the fertilizing dust or pollen, 

 which grows on the top of the corn sLalk. In squashes, melons, cucumbers 

 and the like, the flowers are somewhat alike. The fertile ones are known by a 

 large green bunch below the flower. This is the rudimentary squash, melon, 

 or cucumber. The sterile flowers contain the pollen, and all fall off soon after 

 flowering. Bees and other insects transfer the pollen, unless this is done by 

 hand, as is usual when these plants grow in green-houses. In case of cherries, 

 apples, peaches, currants and most plants, the flowers are said to be perfect, i. 

 e., they have the stamens and pistils near each other in each flower. It can- 

 not be new to most of your that many plants, even those with perfect flowers, 

 are much benefited by the visits of insects. The contrivances by which this 

 is brought about are truly marvelous. In selecting the parents for a cross, the 

 experimenter has some object in view. 1 will give an illustratrion. The toma- 

 ato called the Conqueror, is early; but considerably grooved. To remedy this 

 defect I have crossed the Conqueror with the Smooth Red. In some of these 

 seedlings I hope to find the good qualities of both combined. If I wanted to 

 increase the size, I might cross with the Trophy. In crossing wiieat we might 

 wish to use the Clawson as one of the parents, on account of its vigor and pro- 

 ductiveness. We should like a variety of Amber or lied wheat with the other 

 good qualities of the Clawson. No one claims that there is much certainty in 

 obtaining the results desired in a cross, but the chances for any result desired 

 are greater when selections are made with reference to some one or two points 

 desired. 



Which parent exerts the most influence, or just what influence is exerted by 

 each is a question not yet settled among experts. I think it may be well sum- 

 med up in what J. W. Pierson of England says. He has given much attention 

 to the subject and has made many experiments. He concludes that "some 

 take after the male, some after the female; some after both, and some after 

 neither; and tiiat some kinds are goods breeders, and some are bad ones." 

 After a cross is made it will take some years for the seeds to reproduce them- 

 selves — or to become a permanent or fixed variety — a race. The best we can do 

 in this matter of crossing or hybridizing "is a game of chance played between 

 man and jolants." 



Ou a previous page I gave some idea of the proportion of desirable plants 



