AMERICA'S CHIEF CROP 331 



some first-class ears with almost their entire lot 

 of kernels wrinkled, and was confident that in 

 another year I could have obtained the variety 

 desired; namely, one that would bear exclusively 

 wrinkled or sweet corn kernels of a yellow color. 



But the pressure of other work and lack of 

 means led me to abandon the experiments at 

 this stage. 



There is peculiar interest, in the light of more 

 recent knowledge, in noting the results of these 

 early crossbreeding experiments, as just related. 

 It will be observed that I had no difficulty in 

 obtaining crossbred corn with the yellow kernels 

 of one of the parent forms, but that it was dif- 

 ficult to secure a complete ear of wrinkled sweet 

 corn kernels. 



Starch versus Sugar 



To understand the conditions clearly, it should 

 be explained that the kernel of the sweet corn 

 differs from that of field corn in that it contains 

 a large percentage of sugar in solution, and that 

 the wrinkling of the kernel is the outward sign 

 of this condition. 



The smooth kernel, on the other hand, is one 

 in which the sugar content has been largely 

 transformed into starch, and deposited in this 

 insoluble condition. 



