G. N. COI.MNS AND .1. II. KKMI'TU.N. IMIKIHTWCK (IK WAW KMiUSI'KIOI. 



INHERITANCE OF WAXY ENDOSPERIVI IN HYBRIDS OF CHINESE IVIAI2E' 

 By G. N. COLLINS aiid J. H. KEMPTON 



Ll S. Il.>|.a]liil.-iitiil A,;;ri,iillnre, \V;i-liiii-luci II. C. 



Seed fharaclers «r iiiaize alTonl an excepiional oi)porlunity loi' Ihe slutlvof 

 allernalive inheritance and Mcndelian ratios. Arlificial pollinalion is easdy 

 efTecled and (lie larg;e number of seeds re.suUinif, liorne on single ears, makc il 

 possible lo secure reliable averages from a single pollinalion. A slill l'urlher 

 advanlage may lie gaincd l)y ulilising Ihe facl llial througli xenia certain cha- 

 raclers of the hybrid are visible in the seed the same year thaï Ihe cross is made, 

 resulting in a greal saving of titne and the space necessary to grow the plants. 

 For the sliidy of xenia characlers from bOO to 1000 seeds showing second géné- 

 ration cliaraclers can bc secured al once by pollinating a single first génération 

 plant. To sludy a non xenia charactei in a simiiar number of individuals it 

 would l)e necessary to wait anolhcryear, and grow plants tlial would occupy a 

 considérable area. 



The. cliief drawbaik lo the use of xenia cliaraclers in .Mcndciian siudies is 

 Ihe difficully of llnding definitely allernalive characlers peculiar lo a single 

 variely or type. MosI cliaraclers are to bc found in any variely ifonly a suffi- 

 cienlly larg<' iiiinibcr nC iiidi\ iiiiial'- arc scnil iiii/<-d iindcr dilTcrenl environ- 

 ments. Such vai-ialioii is Ihe naliiial rcsiill of (lie crossbrcd condition Ihal 

 exisls in the species, and the iiilcrchange of secil (liai is conslaiilly laking 

 place. To overcome tliis difliculty and insure purily of Ihe slo(-Us, a more or 

 less protracled jieriod of isolation and inbreeding is required, wliicli reduces 

 the stocks lo a very unnatural condition. Lînlcss Ihe results obtained wilh 

 such abnormal stocks can lie clicckcd or dnplicalcd iindcr more nalural condi- 

 tions, the [lossibility should lie kcpl in niiiid (liai w c may be confused by arli- 

 facls or thaï the results may hâve a veiy iiairow application. 



In MIOS Ihe Bureau of Plant Indusiiy of Ih,- Uiiilcd States l)epar(iii<>ii( of 

 Agriculliire inlroduced from China a very peculiar variely of Indiancorn. The 

 gênerai characterislics of Ihis variely, wliich conslitutes a distinct type, hâve 

 been described in anolhcr publication-. One of Ihe mosl slriking characteris- 

 lics of the Chinese maize was the nature of the endosperm, wliich was neilher 

 horny, slarchy, iior sweet, afler the manner of American varieties, but consti- 

 tuled a distinct class, lermcd waxy or cereous because of the resemblance in 

 lexlure and opiical properlies lo hard \vax. 



The endosperm or reserve malerial wliidi suriouiids the gcriii in a kernel 

 of corn varies in Ihe différent types. In the soft varieties, oflen called llour 

 corn, slarchy endosperm occupies the entire seed outside of Ihe cmbryo. In 

 ordinary dcnl varieties Ihe slarchy endosperm is conlined to Ihe cenler of the 

 seed near (lie cmbryo; oiilside of Ihis lliere is a layer of horny endosperm. In 

 lliiit and pop varieties (hcre is hardly a trace of Ihe slarchy cnilosperm, almosl 



I. CoIllliMMlicillinll n.ilr h b I [■(lisirnic ,s,Mll«. (].' I,. CullIV.lVM,-.'. 



■i. Itilllrlil, Su. 1(11. .\ N,;w iy|i(> i,r [||iii;MI Cnni IVoill CIlillM, lllirnlll u[ l'hnil liiihislitj V. S. 

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