ARTIFICIAL POLLINATION IN CORN. 7 



bility. the tassels were reinoxed from four plants and tubes ai)i)li(Ml 

 in the customary way. Befor'* applying: the tuht' a quantity of fresii 

 pollen Avas placed on the tip of the ear. No seed was formed on anj^ 

 of these ears, the time that had elapsed before the silks emerged hav- 

 ing been sufficient for the pollen to lose its \ italily. 



In work with bagged plants the writeis have been greatly annoyed 

 by the frecpiency with which the ear grows through the bag during 

 moist weather. This annoyance is entirely avoided by the use of 

 tubes, A further source of error when bags are used, unless the 

 wiring is carefully done, is the possibility of the silks becoming ex- 

 p(»sed by growing down along the husks and coming out between 

 the w ire and the ear. \\ Ih'ii tubes are used, the small diameter of the 

 tubes and the fact that the elongation of the ear is unobstructed 

 causes the silks to grow straight up the tube. 



liegarding the time necessary to apply the tubes, it was found 

 that with practice oO tubes could be applied in an hour. Since all 

 the work is completed in the one operation, the saving of time as com- 

 pared with the system of bagging is very considerable. 



Api)ro\ed : 



Ja.aii:s ^^'lLSo^■, 



iSccretanj of Ayilcultui-e. 



A^'ASI1I^•GT{)N, D. C., Xoroitber 10, 1911. 



|Cir. MtJ 



o 



