288 Retrograde Varieties 



seedling and therefore to the following genera- 

 tion. Fruit-characters thus do not offer the 

 qualities we need, only the qualities resulting 

 from fertilizations are characteristic of the new 

 generation. Such attributes are afforded in 

 some cases by the color, in others by the chem- 

 ical constitution. 



We will choose the latter, and take the sugar- 

 corn in comparison with the ordinary or starch- 

 producing forms for our starting point. Both 

 sugar- and starch-corns have smooth fruits when 

 ripening. No difference is to be seen in the 

 young ripe spikes. Only the taste, or a direct 

 chemical analysis might reveal the dissimilar- 

 ity. But as soon as the spikes are dried, a 

 diversity is apparent. The starchy grains re- 

 main smooth, but the sugary kernels lose so 

 much water that they become wrinkled. The 

 former becomes opaque, the latter more or less 

 transparent. Every single kernel may in- 

 stantly be recognized as belonging to either of 

 the types in question, even if but a single grain 

 of the opposite quality might be met with on a 

 spike. Kernels can be counted on the spike, 

 and since ordinary spikes may bear from 300- 

 500 grains and often more, the numerical rela- 

 tion of the different types may be deduced with 

 great accuracy. 



Coming now to our experiment, both starchy 



