338 LUTHER BURBANK 



Next to it in variability are the Sorghums, which 

 include the various Kaffir corns, broom corns, 

 and annual sugar canes. These are two very 

 distinct species, one of which is a native of 

 Africa, the other of America, and there is no 

 record of any new variety having been produced 

 by crossing. Six years ago, after numerous 

 trials, a few kernels were produced on an ear 

 of Stowell's Evergreen sweet corn from pollen 

 of the white "goose neck" Kaffir corn. These 

 precious kernels were carefully planted one by 

 one the next season and all but two were Sto- 

 well's Evergreen to all intents and purposes, 

 but two ripened weeks earlier and were almost 

 true Kaffir corns with compact, crooked, droop- 

 ing "heads," containing many scattering hard, 

 round kernels, also bearing "goose neck," droop- 

 ing ears, somewhat resembling popcorn. The 

 next season all were planted and a new corn, in 

 many respects resembling white rice popcorn, 

 but with more nearly globular kernels was pro- 

 duced, but the ears were branched or "many 

 fingered" and bore kernels, not only on the out- 

 side, but on the inside of the ears, producing an 

 enormous number of kernels to the cluster. As 

 the cobs had to be crushed to obtain the corn, 

 selections were made of short "stubby" ears 

 which bore kernels only on the outside. 



