Kempton: Brachytic Culms 
115 
TABLE I,—Measurements of Plants of Two Sister Progenies One of Which Was Brachytic, the 
Other Normal in Stature. 
Brachytic Normal 
Height of plant in decimeters................. 
Number of leaves above the ear............... 
Motalinumberntorleavesms exc ent chs snc sila cieg> « 
Isis ean eran ey PON MON tices Palais Shs Ba was 
Number of branches in the tassel... . 
Length of the upper earincm................ 
AROLAWearvenonh Gniy.co mais eee check ee 
Number of rows on upper ear.............+--- 
Diameter of Culm in 16th inches.:............ 
Hength on faurthleahivcin wsnncge ees v.62 cle he 
Wadifivofetciarihi eatin cis... canateyie eters nis oye «ls 
In our experiments two other 
brachytic variations have appeared. 
One of these arose in a hybrid having 
as one parent the Chinese wax- 
variety, while the other arose in the 
progeny of the hairy Esperanza 
variety.” Both of these variations were 
similar in appearance to the brachytic 
type just discussed. In heredity, how- 
ever, they were very dissimilar. 
The brachytic Esperanza plant was 
not self-pollinated but was crossed with 
a normal plant of the Chinese waxy 
variety. The first generation plants 
exceeded in height the normal Esperanza 
plants and in the second generation 
showed only the normal frequency dis- 
tributions with respect to height. 
MeEnpvetisM, by Reginald Crundell 
Punnett, F. R. S. Pp. 219, Illus. 
Fifth ed. London: Macmillan & 
Co., Ltd., 1919. 
For nearly fifteen years Punnett’s 
Mendelism has enjoyed a well-deserved 
popularity, because of its simple and 
readable account of the elements of 
genetics. It has been translated into 
German, Swedish, Russian and Japan- 
ese; and it has now been issued with 
additions calculated to bring it up to 
date, the last English edition having 
been put out in 1912. 
‘Collins, G. N., “Correlated Characters in Maize Breeding.” 
Vol. vi, No. 12, June 19, 1916. 
PRS io ous Sues 16.30+0.26 21; 
cdc guatemametel OP coMs 20.50+0.35 12.40+0.21 
«onde cee 62.60+6.20 64.40+8 .90 
BP sn fy ct RR 8.66+0.10 14.40+0.24 
3.20+0.08 hes 
22 .90+0.19 20.80+0.27 
0.06+0.02 0.58+0.13 
15.30+0.64 25.90+1.01 
14.20+0.27 16.40+0.23 
27 .60+0.98 28.10+0.71 
9.20+1.40 12.30+1.50 
The other brachytic variation, also 
contrary to the usual behavior, did not 
breed true when self-pollinated, but 
some brachytic plants were again 
secured. 
The strain breeding true for brachy- 
tic culms is of interest in that it is as- 
sociated with few or none of the un- 
desirable features which commonly 
accompany such variations and may 
therefore be of some agricultural value. 
This strain would also seem to provide 
one more true breeding simple Men- 
delian character with which to test the 
linear arrangement of factors. A stock 
of seed has been obtained, and small 
samples will be furnished to those who 
may wish to experiment further with 
this variation. 
By American standards, however, it 
is far from up to date, for Professor 
Punnett is not willing to accept the 
conclusions which American geneticists 
draw from the work that has been 
done here during the last decade. He 
clings to a terminology that in the 
United States is confusing because 
obsolete, and to conceptions that in the 
United States were long ago discarded. 
English conservatism is doubtless 
useful in science; but in this case it 
has prevented a well-written book from 
being of much use to American stu- 
dents.—P. P. 
Journal Agric. Research. 
