lo April, 1909.] Some Facts CoHcerning Maize. 



195 



plants of each variety were selected to provide pollen or cobs as the case 

 might be. When the " silk," which is the female organ of the maize 

 plant, began to emerge from the protective sheath surrounding the cob, it 

 was covered with a muslin bag, sufficiently close in texture to exclude 

 polfen, but open enough to admit air and light. The development of 

 the pollen, which is carried bv the " tassel '" or male organ of the plant, 

 was the signal for cross fertilization to begin. It may be explained that 

 each individual silk on a maize cob communicates with a grain and fer- 

 tilization is effected by means of the pollen being dusted on the silk, down 



PREVENTING FOREIGN POLLINAIION. 

 (Enveloping a cob, selected for crossing 

 in muslin bag.) 



CROSS FERTILIZING MAIZE. 

 (Dusting the pollen from the " tassel 

 on to the " silk.") 



the centre of which the fertilizing element travels to the grain. Those 

 silks, which communicate with the grains lowest down at the butt of the 

 cob emerge iirst, and when their function is finished they wither off, 

 leaving the silks which fertilize the tip of the cob to emerge later. 

 The whole process lasts from ten to fourteen days, and may be said to 

 be the most critical stage of the maize crop grown for grain. In those 

 cobs upon which crosses were made, the officer carefully removed the 

 protecting muslin bag every second or third morning and du.sted p;,llen 

 upon the newly emerged silks. Crossing is usually carried out in the 

 early morning, the air at that time being calmer than during the da\ and 

 the silks are said to be more receptive. 



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