EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 287 



Many dark colored grains have been secured upon a half of the 

 varieties represented in the plot, and these show all degrees of 

 discoloration, from a faint pink to grains that are practically 

 black; many are variously clouded and mottled, the outcome of 

 which is left for future crops. 



The second breeder row was occupied with a long flint variety, 

 brought by Director Voorhees from Mexico. The intent here was 

 to secure an infusion of foreign "blood" into the standard sorts 

 of sweet corn and, if possible, lengthen their grains and thereby 

 increase the percentage of edible material in each ear. This "Mex- 

 ican" — nO' other name for it.being known — is a very tall growing 

 sort with pink, hairy stalks of twice the average length of those 

 surrounding them, and so late in blooming as tO' almost prohibit 

 the securing of any crosses. It seems evident that, whatever the 

 good points hoped for as to length and shape of grain, the slow- 

 ness of growth may condemn at once any crosses that are obtained 

 with it. For speed, and this is the shie qua non of early sweet 

 corns, it is evident that to go north rather than south for breeders, 

 is advisable. However, something may be in store from the very 

 long "shoe-peg," "Mexican-American" crosses, into which quick- 

 ness of growth may be bred, as the results may determine. 



In the third breeder row were planted the yellow grains of a 

 cross of "Golden Bantam" upon "Stowell's Evergreen" with the 

 hope of getting crosses that would be better than either parent. 

 Seeds of such combinations are secured from the ears of several 

 of the white sorts. 



It is seen that this open, free air breeding has been between 

 fifty-three sorts but only sets with three of these are recognizable. 

 The scheme rests upon the fact that a flint sort, the "Mexican" 

 in this instance, marks itself by producing a flint grain whenever 

 its pollen fertilizes a sweet grain. In a similar manner, the pollen 

 carrying yellow impresses this color whenever it produces a grain 

 upon an otherwise white ear. It is probable that the "Voorhees 

 Red" has followed the same rule of the dominance of color over 

 no color and the dark grains are all crosses with it. In short, all 

 flint grains^-and they are in this instance rare — show crosses of 

 the "Mexican;" all yellow kernels are crosses of the "Bantam- 

 Stowell," and all dark grains, a blending of the "Voorhees Red" 



