146 PLANT-BREEDING 



cent of fasciated stems. Three seed-leaves on a germinating 

 plant of some dicotyledonous species are inherited in the 

 same way and so are connate seed leaves. Of the latter I 

 tried the Russian sunflower, of the former some evening prim- 

 roses, and quite a number of other species. As a rule, the 

 seeds of normal plants which in their youth had two free seed 

 leaves gave, after pure fertilization, the same per cent of mon- 

 strous seedlings as the pure seed of the best selected deviating 

 specimens. Hence we may conclude that in races which con- 

 tain some kind of deviation, this is as likely to be reproduced 

 from the seeds of the normal plants as from those of the 

 monstrous specimens. Applying this rule to barrenness in 

 corn, we may assume that the fertile stalks of rows which are 

 rich in unfertile plants are as liable to deteriorate the neigh- 

 boring rows by their pollen as the barren stalks themselves. 



It has been claimed that the tendency of Nature is to 

 breed the barren stalks out, even without the intervention 

 of man. This is evidently false. Even if the barren stalks 

 were as deficient in their tassels as they are in their ears, 

 the laws of nature would not lead to any extirpation. Year 

 after year they would be reproduced by the fertile plants 

 which are derived from the same mother ears, and on the 

 average, probably in the same numbers. This conclusion is 

 supported by the evidence of my tasselless barren corn, 

 which has been reproduced yearly from the fertile specimens 

 of the strain, during the years of my experiment. All these 

 experimental facts go to prove that the detasseling of barren 

 stalks is always only a half -measure, the rejection of the 

 entire rows being the only reliable process. 



The main work of the comparison of the individual rows 

 is generally done at the time of harvesting or shortly before, 

 while the plants are ripening in the field. Strong and vig- 

 orous stalks of medium size, tapering gradually to the tassel, 

 with the ears at a convenient height and having shanks of 



