Seeds for the Garden 125 



the seeds in the ears of all the Evergreen corn will be 

 black. Or the cross can be made by removing the tassels 

 of the Black Mexican and allowing the pollen from the 

 Evergreen to fall on the pistils of the Mexican. 



Another way is to do the crossing by hand. Stalks 

 bearing two ears may be selected. One ear is used for 

 crossing and the other as a " check " to compare with the 

 hybrids produced. Each ear is properly " bagged," 

 and as the pistils and pollen mature, the bags are 

 removed, the pollinations made, and the bags replaced. 

 The exact method of doing all this is best learned by 

 experiment (page 143). 



When the plants (first-generation hybrids) are grown 

 from these seeds, self-pollinations of these may be made. 

 Later generations may be grown from both white and 

 black kernels to determine which breed true. As a rule, 

 it is necessary to cross-pollinate in breeding corn, because 

 the pollen produced by the tassel usually matures before 

 the silk on the same plant is ready to receive it. Self- 

 pollination is easier in the tomato, and in the different 

 varieties of pumpkins, which include the summer 

 squashes. 



FIG. 76. An ear of a white variety of sweet corn that grew near a row of Black 

 Mexican corn. Can you explain why some of the grains are white and some are 

 black? 



