26 VALUE OF FIRST-GENERATION HYBRIDS IN CORN, 



Male parent— A very tall variety from the high mountains of the 

 western part of Guatemala. The ears are borne very near the top of 

 the plants and are consequently late in maturing. Although appar- 

 ently an unproductive type the yield here given is little indication of 

 what the variety might do if the season permitted maturing. The 

 cross was made to test the possibility of making crosses between 

 varieties that represented the extremes in size. Average height, 9 

 feet 6 inches. The 15 plants grown produced 9 nubbins, weighing 



1.5 pounds. 



Hybrid.— Plants intermediate but exhibiting considerable irregu- 

 larity in size. Ears averaging 7 inches long, fairly uniform. The 

 principal abnormality was shown m the leaves, which were crumpled 

 and distorted m all the plants. The color was so dark as to be 

 abnormal. While this cross showed distinctly an increase in vigor 

 over that of the parents, the yield of both parents was so small that 

 the amount of the increase should not be considered. Average 

 height, 6 feet 7 inches. The 15 plants grown produced 16 ears and 

 6 nubbins, weighing 6.25 pounds.'^ 



HYBRID KH 31, BROWNSVILLE BY GUATEMALA RED. 



Female parent. — The same as the female parent of hybrid Dh6. 



Male parent. — A red flinty-seeded variety with 12 to 16 rowed 

 ears, from the lowlands of Guatemala. No abnormalities. Average 

 height, 8 feet 11 inches. The 14 plants grown produced 6 ears and 

 12 nubbms, weighing 4.31 pounds. 



Hybrid. — Ears fairly uniform. Plants and ears without abnor- 

 malities. Average height, 10 feet 2 inches. The 32 plants grown 

 produced 29 ears and 10 nubbins, weighing 15.6 pounds. 



HYBRID KH 62, GUATEMALA RED BY SALVADOR BLACK. 



Female parent. — The same as the male parent of hybrid Kh31. 



Male parent. — A black variety from Salvador not unlike the female 

 parent. Two plants of this variety produced branched ears. The 

 ear stalks also curved up instead of down, so that the ears crossed 

 the main stem. The 15 plants grown produced 3 ears and 12 nubbins, 

 weighing 4.1 pounds. 



oEast states "I have repeatedly tried to cross Giant Missouri Cob Pipe maize (14 

 feet high) and Tom Thumb pop maize (2 feet high), but have always failed. They 

 both cross readily with varieties intermediate in size, but are sterile between them- 

 selves." (See East, E. M., A Mendelian Interpretation of Variation that is Appa- 

 rently Continuous, The American Naturalist, vol. 44, 1910, p. 82. 



It may also be noted that this small variety was successfully crossed with a large 

 Mexican dent whose average height was 11 feet 7 inches. In these experiments the 

 Giant Missouri Cob Pipe corn averaged only 8 feet 4 inches. 

 191 



