Jan. 26,1924 
The Black-Bundle Disease of Corn 
187 
During the same year (1920) an experiment was conducted to 
compare plant yields of corn grown from ears selected in 1919 from 
purple-leaf plants and corresponding ones from plants not showing this 
symptom. Twenty-seven ear rows of equal length (25 feet) were planted 
from each lot of ears. Kernels were planted singly, 14 inches apart in 
rows 42 inches apart. The results are given in Table VIII. 
Table Ylll.-^-Comparative yields of 25-fool ear rows of Yellow Dent corn, grown 
near Bloomington, III., in IQ20, from ears selected in igig from purple-leaf plants 
and from plants without the purple-leaf symptom 
Row No. 
Seeds selected from 
purple-leaf plants. 
Number 
of plants. 
Yield. 
I. 
II 
Gm. 
2,136 
| II 
2,300 
3 . 
! 11 
2,320 
4 . 
! 16 
2,132 
5.: 
16 
2,692 
6 . 
is 
3» 2 °6 
7 . 
12 
2,590 
& . 
14 
2,968 
9 .•’. 
14 
3,422 
10. 
15 
4,658 
11. 
12 
3,606 
12. 
12 
2,724 
13 . 
18 
4,146 
M . 
14 
3,744 
15. 
6 
1,880 
16. 
16 
4,424 
17 . 
14 
4,218 
18. 
17 
3,524 
19. 
11 
2,073 
20. 
16 
3,362 
21. 
15 
2,272 
22. 
i 5 
3.708 
23. 
14 
2,766 
24. 
i 5 
4,084 
25. 
19 
5,016 
26. 
16 
3,490 
27. 
IS 
2,413 
Average yield per row.3,181+123.0 
Row No. 
Seeds selected from 
plants without 
purple-leaf. 
Number 
of plants. 
Yield. 
9B. 
15 
Gm. 
4,899 
9C. 
17 
3,460 
9T. 
15 
4,36o 
I8B. 
16 
3,682 
I8C. 
17 
3,650 
I8T. 
15 
4,534 
27C. 
18 
3,973 
27T. 
18 
3,917 
28. 
15 
3,777 
29. 
14 
4,554 
30. 
16 
4,162 
31. 
II 
3,66o 
32. 
15 
3,689 
33. 
17 
4,144 
3,946 
34. 
17 
35-•. 
15 
3,962 
36. 
16 
4,086 
3 6 £. 
16 
5,020 
15 
3,775 
39 • .. 
16 
4,313 
39 T . 
14 
3,264 
41. 
15 
3,718 
4lT. 
!5 
3,859 
45C. 
18 
3,945 
45T.. 
15 
3,434 
S°T. 
15 
3,717 
54C. 
20 
3,405 
Average yield per row.3,959 ± 54• 3 
On the basis of the data given in Table VIII it will be noted that the 
average yield from the 27 rows from seed of purple plants was 778 ± 134.5 
gm, less than the average yield from the corresponding ear rows 
grown from seed selected from plants without the purple-leaf symptom. 
This is a 19.7 per cent reduction in yield, and is significant in terms of the 
probable error involved. 
CAUSES 
All purple, barren, nubbin, prolific, or multiple-eared plants, or those 
with blackened bundles fall into the group under discussion. It should 
be mentioned that these symptoms rarely occur singly, but are grouped 
