26 < BULLETIN 925, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
zagging of the raehis and subsequent twisting of the saddlebacks, 
as suggested by Collins (2). 
The occurrence of ears at the base of the tassel and their restriction 
to brachytic plants suggests a relationship between these plants 
and the tassel-ear variation (6). Although the resemblance is not 
marked, the variation is in much the same direction, and seems to 
emphasize the association of brachysm with the development of pis- 
tillate flowers. Economically the combination of brachvtic with 
Hopi has been a complete failure, and demonstrates the impractica- 
bility of predicting the value of a hybrid from the characteristics of 
the parents. 
CONCLUSIONS. 
Heritable variations occur frequently in maize. Few of these vari- 
ations are of economic value and most of them are undesirable. One 
of the most frequent variations is a marked reduction in stature. A 
reduction in stature which affects only the length of the internodes 
while the other organs remain unaltered in size or number is known 
as brachysm. Such variations have appeared not only in maize but 
also in cotton, beans, peas, squashes, oats, wheat, and tomatoes, where 
some of them have been utilized by breeders to establish " bush " 
strains. 
While brachvtic maize plants are not of value directly for ic bush " 
qualities, the reduction in stature produces a plant which seems ad- 
mirably adapted to dry-land and irrigation culture. 
The shortening of the internodes places more nodes in contact with 
the ground and thereby increases the number of primary roots. 
The plants in consequence of the short stature and highly developed 
root system are exceptionally sturdy, while the leaves are brought 
close together, thus effecting a partial shade. 
The yield of the brachytic variation as compared with the varieties 
of the corn belt is low. but the reduced stature, sturdy erectness, and 
increased root development offer advantages for extreme conditions 
which may outweigh consideration of yield. Hybrids have been 
made with high-yielding strains in an effort to improve the yield of 
the brachytic plants, and a successful combination seems assured. 
Brachytic stature apparently reappears uncontaminated in the per ju- 
gate generations of hybrids with varieties of normal stature. This 
fact makes it possible to obtain rapidly the desired combination of 
yield and stature by repeatedly "back crossing*' the high-yielding 
brachytic plants on high-yielding normal plants. 
Only two teratological forms have appeared in the hybrids be- 
tween brachytic and normal plants. One of these variations has not 
been observed previously, while the other is relatively common in 
many nonbrachvtic strains. 
