BULLETIN 971, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Number of rows of spikelets on the terminal spike of the ear : T^his char- 
acter corresponds to the number of rows on a normal ear, but on many ramose 
ears the terminal spike is so short and irregular that the number of rows can 
not be definitely determined. 
Length of the terminal spike : The length in centimeters of the unbranched 
portion of the ear. This measurement corresponds to the length of the central 
spike of the tassel. 
Terminal spike index: The length of the terminal spike as a percentage of 
the total length of the pistillate inflorescence. 
Length of the entire ear : The length of the pistillate inflorescence in centi- 
meters, including the branched and unbranched sections. 
FIRST GENERATION. 
The ramose characteristics of both pistillate and staminate in- 
florescences entirely disappeared in the first generation. This was 
in accordance with the results of other investigators as well as the 
previous experience of the writer. 
Measurements of the several tassel dimensions, however, disclosed 
the fact that while the normal type of tassel, as represented by the 
Gordo variety, dominated the conical tassel of the Eamosa parent, 
nevertheless the Gordo type had undergone alteration, approaching 
more nearly the dimensions of the common maize tassel. 
The vigor of the first generation was manifested in the size of the 
tassel, and the measurements of the several parts reflect this vigor. 
Thus, the length of the entire inflorescence exceeds that of the larger 
parent, and a subdivision of the inflorescence into the central spike 
and branching space shows that both of these parts have increased 
in length. This general increase in size prevents a direct comparison 
between the tassel dimensions of the F a and those of the parents, 
since the factor of heterosis can not be evaluated accurately. It 
would seem, however, that the length of the branching space, although 
less than the parental average, has been increased over that of the 
Gordo parent by a greater percentage than has the length of the 
central spike. This indicates the influence of the Eamosa parent, 
which would be expected to increase the length of the branching 
space at the expense of the length of the central spike. 
A more direct measure of this effect is to be found in the central 
spike index. The index clearly shows that the proportion of rachis 
devoted to the production of branches has increased at the expense 
of the central spike, although the tassel is still of the normal type, 
the deviation toward the Ramosa parent being apparent only in the 
measurements. The measurements are given in Table I, and the fre- 
quency distribution of the central spike index are shown graphically 
in figure 1. 
