﻿360 
  

  

  Weatherwax: 
  Structure 
  of 
  the 
  ear 
  of 
  maize 
  

  

  i 
  

  

  Fig. 
  I. 
  An 
  

  

  A 
  cardinal 
  point 
  in 
  Collins 
  's 
  new 
  theory 
  of 
  the 
  

   origin 
  of 
  the 
  ear 
  is 
  that 
  each 
  pair 
  of 
  spikelets 
  is 
  

   yoked 
  structurally 
  with 
  another 
  pair 
  on 
  the 
  opposite 
  

   side 
  of 
  the 
  ear; 
  and 
  the 
  statement 
  is 
  made 
  (pp. 
  

   133-134) 
  that 
  a 
  reduction 
  in 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  rows 
  

   between 
  the 
  base 
  and 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  ear 
  is 
  due 
  not 
  

   to 
  the 
  discontinuance 
  of 
  a 
  row 
  of 
  pairs 
  of 
  spike- 
  

   lets, 
  but 
  to 
  the 
  loss 
  of 
  the 
  pedicelled 
  spikelets 
  from 
  

   yoked 
  pairs 
  for 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  ear. 
  

   No 
  criticism 
  of 
  the 
  general 
  bearing 
  of 
  the 
  theory 
  is 
  

   intended 
  here, 
  but 
  the 
  corollary 
  statement 
  as 
  to 
  

   the 
  manner 
  of 
  the 
  loss 
  of 
  rows 
  cannot 
  go 
  unchal- 
  

   lenged. 
  

  

  Just 
  

  

  was 
  employed 
  in 
  securing 
  

  

  ^■kMi 
  

  

  

  ear 
  with 
  eigh- 
  this 
  anomalous 
  bit 
  of 
  evidence 
  is 
  not 
  explained, 
  

  

  teen 
  rows 
  at 
  the 
  ^^^^^ 
  ^^^^ 
  ^ 
  ^^^^ 
  

  

  base 
  and 
  ten 
  at 
  * 
  . 
  - 
  

  

  the 
  tip. 
  ^^^ 
  ^^^^ 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  

  

  examined, 
  and 
  refer- 
  

   ence 
  is 
  made 
  to 
  tassels 
  having 
  pistillate 
  

   portions. 
  In 
  external 
  appearance, 
  an 
  

   ear 
  of 
  corn 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  deceptive 
  thing, 
  

   and 
  peculiar 
  technique 
  is 
  sometimes 
  

   necessary 
  to 
  bring 
  out 
  its 
  true 
  struc- 
  

   ture. 
  The 
  semblance 
  of 
  rows 
  on 
  the 
  

   surface, 
  being 
  largely 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  ad- 
  

   justment 
  of 
  crowded 
  units 
  to 
  their 
  

   allotted 
  space, 
  may 
  often 
  be 
  more 
  

   properly 
  regarded 
  as 
  geometrical 
  

   rather 
  than 
  morphological, 
  especially 
  

  

  '1^ 
  

  

  »m^ 
  

  

  F^ 
  

  

  ^ 
  

  

  «dto4 
  

  

  when 
  

  

  any 
  structural 
  

  

  ty 
  is 
  

  

  2 
  3 
  

  

  Fig. 
  2. 
  An 
  ear 
  of 
  corn 
  with 
  

  

  concerned 
  (FiG. 
  i). 
  

  

  A 
  reliable 
  technique 
  to 
  bring 
  out 
  

   the 
  arrangement 
  of 
  the 
  spikelets, 
  when 
  

   any 
  irregularity 
  is 
  evident, 
  may 
  be 
  ^^" 
  '*'^'^'® 
  ^^ 
  ^^^ 
  ^^^^ 
  ^""^ 
  ^'^^^ 
  

  

  borrowed 
  from 
  the 
  n:akcr 
  of 
  corr,cob 
  I'T, 
  t 
  L^Hor 
  in^.o'" 
  

  

  pipes. 
  The 
  first 
  step 
  in 
  the 
  process, 
  after 
  treatmentas 
  described 
  in 
  

  

  after 
  the 
  removal 
  of 
  the 
  kernels, 
  is 
  to 
  ^^^ 
  ^^''^' 
  ^ 
  ^H- 
  

  

  shave 
  off 
  with 
  a 
  sharp 
  knife 
  the 
  chaff 
  on 
  the 
  outside 
  of 
  the 
  cob. 
  

  

  