VICE-SECREIARY ON THE WILD STATE OF MAIZE. 117 



Fig. 2 repres^ts the corresponding appearance of an ear of the 

 large white variety commonly cultivated in the United States : 

 its grains are not at all larger than those of the wild corn, but 

 its chaffs are reduced to little membranous half-transparent 

 scales, which are entirely concealed by the protruding grains. 

 It is also curious to remark, that cultivation has at the same 

 time produced another effect, the centre of the ear having become 

 large an 1 firm while the chaff has diminished : as if the deterio- 

 ration of the latter had caused the enlargement of tlie former ; 

 a somewhat important fact, when it is considered that the centre 

 of the ear of Indian corn is itself a receptacle of nutritious matter. 

 Upon measuring off their parts, the following appear to be 

 their respective proportions : — 



To those who are acquainted with the changes which our cul- 

 tivated esculents have in some cases also undergone, this new 

 fact will probably show that it is by no means to be expected 

 that such plants as corn and fruit-trees shoidd be recognizable 

 in a wild state ; and that it is quite possible that the wild type of 

 some of our domestic fruits may lurk beneath disguises hitherto 

 impenetrable. 



Indian corn adds, moreover, another example to that of the 

 Carrot, which was completely domesticated by M. Vilmorin in 

 tliree generations (See ^Horticultural Transactions,^ new series, 

 vol. ii., p. 348), showing that in some plants the progress of im- 

 provement under cultivation is so rapid that they begin to change 

 their form perceptibly from the moment when they are first 

 brought under the dominion of man. 



XIV. — Some Accomif of the Jefferson Plum. By Mr. Robert 

 Thompson, Superintendent of the Orchard and Kitchen- 

 Garden Department, in the Society's Garden. ( With a 

 Coloured Plate?) 



This is an American variety of the highest excellence. It was 

 presented to the Society, in 1841, by Mr. .James Barnet, who 

 obtained it for his nursery at Edinburgh from Mr. Wilson, 

 nurseryman. New York. It fruited for the first time in the 

 garden of the Society last season, an unfavourable one for plums 

 and fruits generally. Nevertheless, the variety in question was 

 found to possess so much merit as to render a drawing of it de- 



