EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 409 



experiments became infested with tlie species of broom-rape {Oro- 

 banche ramosa L.) that is sometimes quite destructive to the tobacco 

 and hemp, particularly in Kentucky.* 



Last year specimens were met with upon tomato, f which is a host 

 closely related to the tobacco. In this instance the host is a member 

 of the mint family and shows that this root parasite has quite a wide 

 range of plants upon which it may possibly flourish. Plate VII. shows 

 the potted coleus plant and the broom-rape that is growing upon it 

 below the surface of the earth. 



EXPERIMENTS IN GERMINATION OF CORN. 



Thirty-two lots of corn were germinated with as little moisture in 

 the soil as possible. Only lots Xos. 9, 10, 25 and 31 gave albinos. A 

 duplicate set was groAvn in very moist earth, with the result that Nos. 

 9, 10, 22, 25 and 31 gave albinos. There Avas one albino plant in No. 

 22; otherwise, the numbers giving albinos were the same in the two 

 lots. This would indicate that the albinism is in the seed or at least 

 not induced by the amount of moisture in germination. 



A considerable lot of small ears ("nubbins"), mostly immature, 

 were placed upon moist moss and the scattered grains germinated. An 

 albino seedling was a rare exception. This indicates that immaturity 

 of the grains is not a condition for albinism. 



Ears yielding all)inos were selected and twenty grains from each 

 row planted. 



This indicates that the albinos are not confined to certain pairs of 

 rows on the ear. 



* Bulletin 24, Kentucky Experiment Station, 1890. 

 t Report for 1901, p. 435. 



