FASCIATION IN MAIZE KERNELS 1 



T. K. WOLFE 

 Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station 



In the summer of 1914 a number of different varieties 

 of corn were crossed for the purpose of studying the 

 effect of hybridization on the weight of hybrid and pure 

 seed produced. One of the crosses made was between 

 Improved Learning as the seed parent and Boone County 

 Special as the pollen parent, the pollen of the two varie- 

 ties being mixed and applied to the same ear. The 

 former variety is a yellow dent and the latter a white 

 dent. On this ear was found two kernels, each of which 

 •had two embryos. The description of the kernels and 

 their progeny will be given in this paper. 



Description of Kernels 



In corn, the embryo is normally on the side of the ker- 

 nel toward the tip of the ear. These kernels had an em- 

 bryo on both sides. The kernels seemed to be normal 

 with the exception of the extra embryo and a slight prom- 

 inence or line of demarkation which extended around each 

 kernel parallel to the embryos. 



Kernel No. 1 was yellow in one half, while the other 

 half was a paler yellow (diluted with white). Kernel 

 No. 2 was yellow in both halves. Although there was a 

 variation in the degree of color, the results of the F t 

 generation proved that both halves of each kernel were 

 hybrid. 



Progeny from Kernels 

 The kernels were planted in pots in the greenhouse in 

 April in greenhouse soil and in due time each kernel pro- 



i Paper 2 from department of agronomy, Virginia Agricultural Experi- 

 306 



