﻿AND 
  STARCH 
  CHARACTERS 
  IN 
  CORN 
  181 
  

  

  In 
  emphasizing 
  the 
  fluctuating 
  variabihty 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  inheri- 
  

   tance 
  of 
  these 
  endosperm 
  characters 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  forgotten 
  that 
  

   commonly 
  there 
  are 
  some 
  F2 
  kernels 
  and 
  some 
  ears 
  in 
  which 
  segre- 
  

   gation 
  is 
  quite 
  pure. 
  By 
  selecting 
  these 
  apparently 
  Mendelian 
  

   results 
  may 
  be 
  secured, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  just 
  as 
  true 
  that 
  there 
  are 
  always 
  

   other 
  kernels 
  in 
  which 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  mixture 
  of 
  the 
  characters 
  for 
  

   sugar 
  and 
  starch 
  has 
  occurred, 
  and 
  by 
  selecting 
  these 
  interme- 
  

   diates 
  in 
  larger 
  proportions 
  may 
  be 
  secured, 
  and 
  probably 
  by 
  

   continued 
  selection 
  pure 
  races 
  of 
  intermediates 
  can 
  be 
  produced. 
  

   The 
  possibility 
  of 
  the 
  existence 
  of 
  equilibrium 
  types 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  

   recognized, 
  representing 
  phases 
  of 
  greater 
  stability 
  in 
  the 
  germ 
  

   plasm 
  toward 
  which 
  fluctuations 
  tend 
  to 
  converge. 
  Breeders 
  

   who 
  in 
  general 
  terms 
  report 
  the 
  confirmation 
  of 
  East's 
  and 
  Cor- 
  

   rens's 
  results 
  in 
  corn 
  have 
  probably 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  consciously 
  

   selected 
  from 
  the 
  typical 
  parental 
  types 
  in 
  planting 
  for 
  the 
  F3 
  and 
  

   succeeding 
  generations. 
  

  

  AND 
  STARCH 
  CHARACTERS 
  

  

  The 
  characters 
  sweet 
  and 
  starchy 
  are 
  typically 
  metidentical 
  

   characters. 
  The 
  presence 
  of 
  sugars 
  and 
  dextrin 
  gums 
  in 
  solution 
  

   or 
  in 
  sols 
  leads 
  in 
  drying 
  out 
  to 
  shrinkage 
  of 
  the 
  cell 
  and 
  an 
  irregular 
  

   outline 
  just 
  as 
  the 
  whole 
  kernel 
  becomes 
  wrinkled 
  and 
  shrivelled. 
  

   The 
  presence 
  of 
  more 
  solid 
  starch 
  grains 
  packing 
  the 
  cells 
  full 
  

   prevents 
  this 
  shrivelling 
  with 
  loss 
  of 
  water 
  and 
  the 
  cells 
  and 
  

   kernels 
  remain 
  plump 
  and 
  rounded. 
  This 
  is 
  a 
  case 
  of 
  a 
  metidenti- 
  

   cal 
  character 
  expressing 
  itself 
  morphogenetically 
  and 
  giving 
  char- 
  

   acteristic 
  form 
  differences 
  in 
  a 
  many-celled 
  structure. 
  So 
  far 
  as 
  I 
  

   know 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  case 
  of 
  this 
  sort 
  so 
  far 
  noted, 
  most 
  metidentical 
  

   characters 
  being 
  matters 
  of 
  color, 
  taste, 
  etc., 
  and 
  such 
  properties 
  

   as 
  length 
  of 
  life, 
  fertility, 
  sterility, 
  etc. 
  The 
  character 
  starchy 
  or 
  

   sugary 
  can 
  be 
  transmitted 
  directly 
  as 
  such 
  through 
  the 
  egg 
  and 
  

   male 
  cell. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  question 
  here 
  as 
  to 
  a 
  method 
  of 
  its 
  repre- 
  

   sentation 
  in 
  the 
  germ 
  plasm. 
  It 
  need 
  not 
  be 
  considered 
  as 
  repre- 
  

   sented 
  in 
  the 
  germ 
  cells 
  by 
  a 
  factor 
  or 
  factors 
  which 
  are 
  not 
  funda- 
  

   mentally 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  the 
  character 
  itself 
  in 
  its 
  expression 
  in 
  other 
  

   cells. 
  In 
  a 
  sugar 
  corn, 
  speaking 
  broadly 
  and 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  we 
  now 
  

   know, 
  the 
  endosperm 
  cells 
  tend 
  to 
  contain 
  certain 
  more 
  soluble 
  

   carbohydrates 
  as 
  storage 
  products. 
  In 
  a 
  starchy 
  corn 
  the 
  endo- 
  

  

  