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 (PL III, 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 gemination 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. 2.30: 
Total 
Germination 
38 
" "ioo" 
76 
37 
8 
22 
9 
66 
50 
5 
"mY 
48.7 
10.5 
29.0 
11.8 
"'83.4* 
75.8 
7.6 
39 
15 
4 
6 
14 
25 
20 
"64.6" 
38.5 
10.2 
15.4 
35.9 
""'92.6" 
80.0 
39. 



39 
25 
6 
Plumule and roots- 
Development good 
Plumule, no development; roots. 
Plumule and roots, no develop- 
100 
United States Selection No. 119: 
Total 
38 
""106" 

Plumule and roots- 
Plumule, no development; roots, 
fair development 
3 
2 
12.0 
8.0 
Plumule and roots, no develop- 
11 
16.6 
25 
100 
