EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 457 



largely grown for the table. The "County Gentleman" upon the 

 other hand is a white-grained sort somewhat larger in plant than 

 the "Mexican" and ten days, or so, later in coming into season for 

 the picking of the ears which have the long, pointed grains irregu- 

 larly set upon the cob. It is seen that the two varieties, named 

 above, are very unlike, in fact, it would be difficult to select two 

 sorts of first-class sweet corn with fewer points in common. 



It was strikingly noticeable last season that the "Country 

 Gentleman" was abundantly fertilized by the "Mexican" while the 

 reciprocal cross was apparently the rare exception. It was almost 

 impossible to find an ear of the wiiite sort without few or many 

 dark grains while among all the "Mexican" ears only sufficient 

 white grains could be found to plant b:it a few hills the present 

 year. Hand pollination was successful with the "Gentleman" and 

 ears were thus obtained that showed the cross in every grain. The 

 color of these crossed grains was a shade of lead color and in this 

 respect is quite different from the cross that developed into the 

 "Voorhees Red." 



Forty hills were planted this season with grains from the same 

 hand-pollinated ear of "Mexican" upon "Gentleman." The ear 

 from which the grains were taken is shown near the middle of 

 plate II of the report for 1903. This block of hills standing by 

 itself at one corner of the Experiment Area has shown a vigor 

 of plant and evenness of growth that has been remarkable and 

 being bred within themselves it is evident that each ear is very 

 closely related to all the others. All came originally from the 

 same two stalks that were bred together follov.^ed by a further 

 breeding within the family of brothers and sisters, so to say. On 

 the other hand the hills representing the scattered white grains 

 upon several "Mexican" ears crossed naiurally and widely showed 

 a great range of vigor and in fact presented an unevenness of 

 growth that contrasted strongly with the companion set of hills 

 above described. 



Plate I shows a set of six ears embracing the first generation of 

 the "Mexican-Gentleman" crosses. The ear to the left is a typical 

 specimen of the "Black Mexican" variety, it being slender eight- 

 rowed and the grains of a uniform very dark color. At the oppo- 

 site end — to the right, is an ear of the "Country Gentleman", 

 is comparatively short, with the long white grains arranged with- 

 out regard to definite rows. The contrast between the two parents 

 is easily made by a study of these two ears. 



The two ears nearest to the "Mexican" ear. and left of the 

 middle of the plate are the result of the "Mexicnn" as a pollinizer 



