BOTANICAL CHARACTERS 109 



Black Sugar, Hickory King, Louisiana Hickory, and many CHAP. 



other dent breeds. This matter is more fully discussed else- 

 where (Burtt-Davv, 25). 



80. Form for Describing the Maize Plant in the Field. — 

 The following is a convenient form for use in recording the 

 vegetative characters of selected plants in the field or the 

 breeding plot. It can be printed off on to record cards of 

 uniform size for subsequent filing. By marking off the char- 

 acter which is present, much time is saved. which would other- 

 wise be spent in writing out the cards. For instance in (c), 

 if the plant is in silk at the time of taking the notes, put a 

 mark, thus v /, over the word " silking," or, if it is ripe, then 

 over the word "ripe". More space must be allowed for the 

 writing than is here indicated : — 



(a) Name of breed Date of record 



(b) Where grown Date of planting 



(c) Maturity of plant ; silking; roasting ear ; partly dented or glazed; fully 



dented or glazed ; nearly ripe ; ripe. 



{d) Height of stem : average of ten plants feet inches. 



(c) Stem; straight; medium; zigzag. 



(f) Stem circumference at middle of internode between second and third 



node from ground inches. 



(g) Stem circumference at middle of internode below main ear inches. 



(h) Number of ears on 100 stems 



(i) Number of barren stems in 100 plants 



(_/') Position of ear ; in middle of stem ; above the middle ; below the middle. 

 (k) Direction of ear ; pointing upwards ; horizontal; pointing downwards. 

 (I) Length of shank; distance from node to base of ear, average of ten 



plants inches. 



(m) Husks; abundant; medium; scanty. 

 (n) Husks; tight; medium; loose. 



(0) Number of leaves ; average of ten plants 



(/>) Width of leaf-blades on ten plants: maximum inches; minimum 



inches; average ....inches. 



(q) Length of leaf-blades on ten plants: maximum inches; minimum 



inches ; average inches. 



(;') Length of tassel ; average of ten plants inches. 



(s) Number of branches of tassel ; average of ten plants 



(r) Additional notes 



81. The Shank. — The shank is the stalk on which the ear 

 develops. It is a much-reduced lateral branch, arising from a 

 node on the main stem, and, like the stem, having nodes and 

 internodes, the latter much shortened. Each node of the 

 branch gives rise to a leaf, and in some cases to one or more 

 distinct secondary ears (Fig. 55); this may produce silks, but 



IV. 



