MAIZE WITH SILKS MATURING BEFORE THE TASSELS. 11 



Table II. — Classification of suckers — Continued. 



No. 



n 



12 

 13 



14 



15 

 16 



18 

 19 



20 



Description of sucker. 



Terminal inflorescence staminate except for a pistillate portion at base of central spike and 



tips of branches; no ear - - ;---.;---:- / - - ■ 



Terminal inflorescence staminate, with pist Mate portion at base of central spike; branches 



wanting; no ear - .•--.----; :----.;--■ 



Terminal inflorescence with pistillate portions at the base and tip of central spike; 



branches staminate; no ear 



Terminal inflorescence with central spike completely pistillate; branches stammate, or 



nearly so; no ear - 



Similar" to No. 14 except for a staminate portion at tip of central spike 



Terminal inflorescence with central spike completely pistillate; branches staminate, with 



pistillate portion at tip; no ear 



Terminal inflorescence with central spike completely pistillate: branches pistillate, or 



nearly so; no ear 



Terminal inflorescence pistillate; no branches; no ear 



Terminal inflorescence a normal staminate tassel, with an ear at its base; no ear in normal 



position 



No terminal inflorescence; no ear 



Number 

 of plants. 



The suckers which resembled main stalks, producing; both ears and 

 tassels, were also for the most part proterogynous, though less uni- 

 formly so than the main stalk. Notes were secured on the suckers of 

 15 such plants. Of these, two were proterandrous, one was synac- 

 mic, two had one sucker proterogynous and one proterandrous, four 

 had sterile tassels, and eight were proterogynous. In every plant 

 with sterile tassels on the sucker the tassel of the main stalk was 

 also sterile. There were apparently no intermediate stages between 

 completely sterile tassels and those producing an abundance of pol- 

 len. Sterile tassels are not uncommon in many varieties of maize 

 which show no proterogynous tendencies. 



SUMMARY. 



The present paper records the discovery of the proterogynous 

 habit in a variety of maize introduced from Granada, Spain. In 

 plants of this type the silks are exserted and receptive before the 

 pollen begins to fall. This proterogynous characteristic insures a 

 much larger percentage of cross-pollinated seed than is obtained in 

 the ordinary varieties, in which the falling of the pollen is simulta- 

 neous with or precedes the exsertion of the silks. If this character can 

 be combined with the good qualities of improved American types it 

 will obviate the necessity of detasseling to secure cross-pollinated seed. 



A small quantity of pure seed of this variety was produced during 

 the past season and is available for those wishing to undertake the 

 introduction of this character into local varieties. 



Approved : 



James Wilson, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



Washington, D. C, November 21 , 1912. 



[Cir. 107] 



o 



