EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 393 



outset, these solid-piiik or pale-rod cars became a hopeful indication 

 that the end was possibly in sight. 



The point that concerns us in this paper is that, while in the first 

 year from the crossed seed the variations among the progeny was very 

 slight and all ears showed unmistakable evidences of the cross, the 

 same was not true to the same extent the second season. Then there 

 was a decided tendency to depart from the form produced the year 

 before and some plants to be small and to mature early, like the 

 '^'Mexican/' having the dark, solid, eight-rowed ears of that variety, 

 while others grew large and, late, with the characteristics of the 

 "Egyptian." Wliile no ears were solid white, there was a tendency 

 to unequal distribution of the color; a production of an increased 

 percentage of the pink, and, finally, some ears were entirely of the 

 reddish grains. 



Cucumbers. — This is the second season with some crossing experi- 

 ments with cucuml>ers. In 1899 the "White Spine" and "White 

 Pearl" were crossed. The seedlings the succeeding year were com- 

 paratively uniform in plant, fiower and fruit, the latter being of good 

 size and combining the characteristics of both the parents. There was 

 a blending of the green of the "White Spine" with the pale color of 

 the "White Pearl," etc. The present season forty-eight hills were 

 planted with the seeds from the crossed fruits. It made an unusually 

 strong lot of plants, that covered the ground with a foliage that varied 

 .among the different plants, but the range of peculiarities shown by 

 the fruits was remarkable. They were of all colors, from the deepest 

 green to those as white as wheat flour. Some of them were long and 

 slender and others as round as apples. Among those with smooth 

 skin were lying others with numerous spines, some small, other large, 

 while not a few were striped or mottled. As the hope from the begin- 

 ning was to get a smooth fruit, it looks as if the desire may be met 

 by proper selection. 



Beans. — In 1900 a cross was obtained between the dwarf Hender- 

 son and Burpee lima beans. There were twenty of the crossed plants 

 that in themselves differed quite ^videly, some adhering to the Hen- 

 derson and others to the Burpee type, while many were intermediate. 



During the present season seedlings of these crosses have been grown, 

 and from the time the cotyledons appeared until the harvest the plot 

 has shown that it was a crossed lot of plants. Among other things, 

 seven of the plants early manifested a tendency which was gratified, 

 .and they have turned out to be pole beans differing in quality of pod. 



