EFFECTS OF MUTILATING THE SEEDS OF CORN. 



9 



sectioned seeds and a third class, in which the germs were cut out and 

 then replaced in the same kernels (PI. Ill, fig. 1), were sown on fertile 

 uniform soil and the plants grown to maturity in comparison with 

 plants from entire seeds. 



GERMINATION OF THE MUTILATED GERMS. 



Two varieties of corn were used, United States Selection No. 230, 

 a broad-kerneled yellow dent, and United States Selection No. 119, 

 a smaller kerneled white dent. The germination tests were made in 

 both sand and water germinators, but as the results from both were 

 substantially the same only those made in sand are treated in detail. 

 Of the yellow variety 38 kernels were sectioned longitudinally through 

 endosperm and embryo, 39 kernels were cross-sectioned through 

 endosperm and embryo, and 38 entire kernels were used as check seed. 

 In the white variety 33 kernels were sectioned longitudinally, 25 were 

 cross-sectioned, and 38 entire seeds were used as checks. In both 

 the yellow and the white varieties the different classes of seed came 

 from the same ear. 



On February 1 the seeds were placed in a sand germinator and kept 

 under favorable temperature and moisture conditions. Data obtained 

 10 days later on the plumule and root development are presented in 

 Table II. 



Table II. — Data on the germination and the plumule and root development from entire 

 and sectioned corn seeds at the Corn Laboratory , at Washington, D. C, in 1920. 









Sections showing the development indicated . 





Entire seeds. 



Longitudinal 

 sections. 



Cross sections. 



Variety. 



Tip portions. 



Crown portions. 





Num- 

 ber. 



Per 

 cent. 



Num- 

 ber. 



Per 

 cent. 



Num- 

 ber. 



Per 

 cent. 



Num- 

 ber. 



Per 

 cent. 



United States Selection No. 230: 



Total 



38 



100 



76 



37 



8 



22 



9 



66 



50 

 5 



88.2 



48.7 

 10.5 



29.0 



11.8 



83.4 



75.8 

 7.6 



39 



15 

 4 



6 



14 



25 



20 



64.0 



38.5 

 10.2 



15.4 



35.9 



92.0 



80.0 



39 





 







39 



25 







' 



Plumule and roots — 















Plumule, no development; roots, 









Plumule and roots, no develop- 







100 



United States Selection No. 119: 

 Total 



38 



100 











Plumule and roots — 

















Plumule, no development; roots, 







3 

 2 



12.0 

 8.0 







Plumule and roots, no develop- 







11 



16.6 



25 



100 











