24 VALUE OF FIKST-GENEKATION HYBRIDS IN CORN. 



Ilyhrid. — The plants of this cross exhibited greater diversity than 

 was shown in any other cross. Two of the plants "were so' exactly 

 like the female parent, both in plant and ear characters, as to arouse 

 the suspicion that the precautions against foreign pollination had 

 been imperfect and that the particular grains producing these plants 

 were self-pollinated. This appears the more probable from the 

 nature of the Chinese plants, which makes it especially difficult to 

 exclude pollen from the tips of the silks that appear directly in the 

 angles of the leaf blades. Wliile the plants showed the complete range 

 of the parental characters, the ears, with the exception of those 

 noted above, were fairly uniform. One interrupted ear was pro- 

 duced; that is, a portion of the ear near the middle produced only 

 staminate instead of pistillate flowers. Average height, 8 feet 3 

 inches. The 16 plants grown produced 25 ears and 18 nubbins, 

 weighing 15.25 pounds. 



HYBRID DH 3, HOPI BY CHINESE. 



Female imrent. — A plant from a white seed of the Hopi variety 

 described as the male parent of hybrid Ah3. 



Male 'parent. — White Chinese. The same as the male parent of 

 hybrid Dhl. 



Hyhrid. — Plants fairly uniform, showing characters of both par- 

 ents. Ears remarkably uniform, more nearly resembling the female 

 parent. The only abnormal feature was the frequent exsertion of 

 the ear beyond the husks. Average height, 8 feet 4 inches. The 16 

 plants grown produced 28 ears and 2 nubbins, weighing 20.4 pounds. 



HYBRID DH 4, CHINESE BY XUPHA. 



Female parent. — Plant from a white seed of Chinese similar to the 

 male parent of hybrid Dhl. 



Male parent. — A black, semistarch variety from Salvador. No 

 abnormalities. Average height, 8 feet 8 inches. The 14 plants 

 grown produced 21 ears and 5 nubbins, weighing 8.8 pounds. 



Hyhrid. — The hybrid ear from which these plants were grown was 

 poorly matured. Plants and ears exhibited a number of abnormali- 

 ties. Eight suckers and two main stalks bore small ears at the base 

 of the tassel, below which were a number of supernumerary leaves. 

 In two cases the margins of the leaf sheaths were grown together, 

 forming a cylinder. About half of the ears produced staminate 

 flowers; some were interrupted and many had a long staminal portion 

 at the tip. Average height, 7 feet 10 inches. The 16 plants grown 

 produced 18 ears and 18 nubbins, weighing 8.6 pounds. 



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