530 Old Colony Sioeet Corn, its Cullui^e, S^c. 



of the ear and kernel, suggested the plan of seeding the cob, 

 when better acclimated, with Sweet corn. A few hills, 

 planted in 1846, ripened their ears well, and sufficiently 

 early to settle the question of acclimation. 



In 1847, a few hills were again planted in a favorable 

 place ; and at the proper time, before the anthers had burst, 

 the stamens, or spindles, were carefully removed. As soon 

 as the pistils, or silk, seemed in a mature state, the opening 

 stamens of Sweet corn stalks were carefully brought, and 

 the pollen from them gently shaken upon the pistils. The 

 result was successful so far as the experiment was carefully 

 pursued. At the time of harvesting, more than one half of 

 the kernels bore all the ordinary outward appearances of 

 Sweet corn, and had the sweetness peculiar to that variety, 

 but taking the shape and size natural to the cob on which 

 they were grown. 



It then remained, as you will perceive, to ascertain by 

 experiment whether a hybrid or a mule had been produced ; 

 or, whether the new kernels were capable of reproducing 

 themselves in color and taste, and yet retain for the new 

 plants the advantages of a combination of the specific traits 

 of the female parent, or would rim back, as accidental mix- 

 tures often do, to one or the other of the originals. In 1848, 

 twenty-five hills were planted of the Sweet corn kernels, 

 selected from three ears, and all seemingly perfectly alike. 

 Before midsummer it was apparent that stalks from the same 

 ■ear, and in the same hill, were very different in character; 

 ■6ome of them being inclined to run up to the great heighth 

 of the Southern White, and marked with all the distinctive 

 peculiarities of that variety, while others seemed to be 

 dwarfed, and quite inferior specimens of the other side of the 

 house. A few only, perhaps not more than four or five 

 stalks, were neither the one nor the other in size and appear- 

 ance, and upon these I fixed as probably truly hybridized. 

 The others were removed as soon as their characters seemed 

 settled, but not quite soon enough to prevent a partial seeding 

 of the remaining stalks by the Southern White, as was seen 

 in the autumn. 



