434 NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



First Oeneration of Fonr Nenv Croasea. 



A block in one corner of the Gardens was occupied with fifty hills 



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of "Mexican" upon "Banana" (-^) planted early, and alongside of it, 



but planted three weeks later, was a quantity of "Mexican" upon 

 "Striped Evergeen." The male parent, while the same in bMh, was 

 mated in the first instance ("Banana") with very early sort, and in 

 the other a medium-late kind of the evergreen group. The difference 

 in time of planting was not quite sufficient and the "Mexican-Banana" 

 plants were detasseled as soon as their ears were served. All suckers 

 had been previously removed. A number of the earliest plants in the 

 adjoining "Mexican-Striped Evergreen" block were also detasseled to 

 prevent their possible mixing with the latest of the former cross. In 

 ordinary seasons these precautions would probably not have been 

 needed, but the prolonged drought hastened the blooming of all plants 

 like corn, and particularly the later sorts. It is, however, better to 

 plant the seed of all blocks of corn that have the same rate of growth 

 fully five weeks apart, to make sure of freedom from mixing. The 

 later-planted corn has better conditions, as a rule, and reaches the 

 tassel stage much quicker than the same variety of corn planted earlier 

 and in a cooler soil with shorter days. The mixed nature of the grains 

 resulting from the first generation is shown in the set of six ears in 

 the upper left-hand corner of Plate II. The ear upon the right of the 

 six has much of the shape and zigzag arrangement of the grains char- 

 acteristic of the "Banana." 

 Alongside of the above-mentioned block, and planted three weeks 



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later, was the cross of "Mexican" upon "Striped Evergreen" {~^). 



The time between the flowering of this cross and the one previously 

 mentioned was not satisfactory, and the work of detasseling was needed 

 to prevent mixing between the two blocks. There is quite a difference 

 iK'tween these two crosses, both in plant and ear. The first produces a 

 tall plant with naiTow, erect foliage, while the second has long, broad, 

 drooping leaves upon stout stalks. The differences between the ears 

 are shown in the upper row in Plate II., the six to the right of the 

 middle being the "Mexican-Striped Evergreen" cross. About half of 

 the ears were a mixture of black and white grains — three-quarters 

 black to one-quarter white — while the others were with both the dark 

 and light grains marked, upon the embryo side in particular, with the 



