272 TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY REPORT. 
six groups: Zea saccharata, the sweet corns, including thirty-three 
varieties; Zea indurata, the flint corns, forty-four varieties; Zea 
imdentata, the dent corns, forty-seven varieties; Zea amylacea, the 
soft corns, twelve varieties; Zea cverta, the pop corns, ten varie- 
ties; Zea mays var. vaginata, the pod corns, a few poorly estab- 
lished varieties. In 1885 another group was added to this series, 
Zea amylea saccharata, the starchy sweet corns. 
A careful description’? was secured of each of these varieties, 
from both botanical and agricultural sides. A most interesting 
series of observations'® was also made regarding the tendency of 
each of the types. toward or against cross pollination and the effect 
of crossing, within the type and with varieties of other types. 
Upon this work were based ten “ propositions” relative to hybridi- 
zation in corn, most of which hold true to-day, although some of 
the phenomena are differently explained since we know of Mendel’s 
law and the principle of xenia. Additional work" along this line 
was done in 1885. The scheme of classification was published in 
the report for 1¢84, but additienal varieties were tested!® and de- 
scribed in 1888 anv 1890. 
Seed.— Probably icw experiments in field crops ever excited 
more comment than those’® carried on at the Station in 1882, ’83, ’84 
and ’85, by which it was established that there is practically no 
difference in germinative ability or crop-producing power between 
. seed at tip, middle or butt of the ear. The criticisms of this work. 
tanged all the way from dogmatic assertions that the experiment 
was idiotic throughout, in conception, execution and conclusion, to 
unqualified praise of the Station for demonstrating scientifically a 
fact that might be made of great practical value to growers of corn. 
In these tests, which were apparently fairly well guarded by repe- 
tition in different years and on different soils, the average yields 
for four years were: For kernels from butt of ear, 5514 bushels 
per acre; from center of ear, 5744 bushels, and from tip of ear, 
58% bushels. The tip kernels were superior in twenty-eight out of 
thirty trials. This experiment has been repeated by practically 
every station in a corn State, with somewhat varying results, but 
with a great predominance of evidence to support the conclusion 
* Rpt. 3:124-188 (1884). 
* Rpt. 3:145-154 (1884). 
“Rpt. 4:96-111 (1885). 
'* Rpts. 7:119-121 (1888) ; 9:287 (1890). 
* Rpts. 1:46-49 (1882) ; 2:90-93 (1883) ; 3:130, 131 (1884) ; 4:48-50 (1885). 
andl spain ie ht tet 
