July i, 1925 Productiveness and Deleterious Characters in Corn 
89 
ANGULARITY OF KERNEL AND YIELD 
Qne characteristic difference between the prolific and nonprolific 
varieties was in the shape of the kernels. The nonprolific varieties 
tended to have more angular kernels that are crowded more closely 
on the ear. This angularity probably is due, in part at least, to the 
greater lateral pressure during their development. 
Data on the relation of angularity of kernel to yield in one experi¬ 
ment with the Garrick variety, in which the ears with rounded ker¬ 
nels yielded 9 per cent more than those with angular kernels, are 
shown in Table V. 
Table V .—Data on the relation of angularity of kernels on the seed ears to the 
number of kernel rows and to yield in the Garrick variety at Lykesland } S. <7., in 
1914 
Angularity of kernels 
on seed ears 
Kernel 
rows 
on seed 
- ears 
(average) 
Perfect 
hills 
Relative 
yields 
Angular_ _ 
Rounded®... 
13.2 
10.8 
1,542 
1,735 
Per cent 
93 
102 
® This class included kernels of both the intermediate and rounded classes of other experiments. 
In 1913, one row of plants of each of 15 varieties was grown in a 
field of the Roger variety and detasseled before pollen was shed. A 
similar series was grown in a field of Garrick. The ears of the resulting 
crosses were grouped on the basis of angularity of kernel and these 
groups were compared, with the results shown in Table VI. - 
Table VI .—Data on the relation of angularity of the kernels on the parent ears to 
yield in two series of varietal crosses at Darlington, S. C., in 1914 
15 varieties crossed by Roger 
15 varieties crossed by Garrick 
Shape of kernels 
Rows on 
parent 
ears 
(average) 
l 
Perfect 
hills 
Relative 
yields 
Rows on 
parent 
ears 
(average) 
Perfect 
hills 
Relative 
yields 
Angular----- 
16.1 
1,882 
' 
Per cent 
105 
14.8 
1,919 
Per cent 
119 
Intermediate_ 
12.9 j 
| 1,848 
1,885 
110 
12.9 
1,934 
123 
Rounded_ 
13.7 
108 
13.7 
1,898 
125 
The number of plants of each female parent variety was so limited 
that the rounded-kernel class was poorly represented in some crosses. 
The ears with angular kernels produced the lowest yields in both 
series of crosses. The ears with kernels of intermediate angularity 
produced the highest yields in the Roger crosses, whereas the ears 
with kernels of intermediate angularity produced more than the ears 
with angular and less than those with rounded kernels in the Garrick 
crosses. 
In the preceding experiments the ears with angular kernels had 
more rows of kernels than those with rounded kernels. To avoid 
any possible effect of the number of kernel rows on yield, the classi- 
