156 [ AssEMBLY 
those of size, imper Tee filling of the grains, suppression of parts, ete. 
The second diagnostic, as not only resisting change of climate and 
culture, but which also resist change produced by hybridization. 
Great variability in appearance coming from the first of our causes 
have little true significance, and can be ignored in classification, as 
being of general occurrence in all types. A very slight variability 
in the second set may have the utmost meaning as indicating a sep- 
aration of types. Color, although so prominent, cannot be considered 
typical, but rather of variety significance only. 
The diagnostic points about maize are the size of the ear stalk, 
~ medium small, large, and small; the shape of the ear, whether 
cylindrical or tapering, or swollen at but: the position of the ker- 
nel, rounding over the cob at but, or not rounding: the character of 
the ear towards tip, whether pointed or otherwise; the shape of the 
kernel. 
The variety characteristics are the color; size of ear, of cob, of 
kernel; the filling at tips, the openness between pairs of rows; date 
of crowth ; usual number of rows. 
The accidental points are the number of rows within certain limits, 
irregularity of row, suppression of rows and kernels, changes in ker- 
nel through current hybridization, changes of ear through previous 
hy bridization, changes which occur from harvesting before maturity, 
or from unfavorable season. 
Whether we consider the sweets, flints, dents, softs or pop corns 
we find a parallelism occurring thr oughout i in the diagnostic points : 
z. €., the same or quite similar types appearing in all, and as we have 
before stated, resistance to cross-fertilization between the types, in 
whatever contrasts they be grouped. With our present knowledge, 
this unwillingness to cross, is but a resistance, not a refusal, for if is 
probable that when the cross is forced through withholding of the 
type pollen, and furnishing the pollen of another type that seed will 
be often produced which shall yield in its planting the effects of the 
cross, and also that, as we have heretofore stated, the ovules on hy- 
brid plants have less resistance to cross-fertilization with other types 
than have ovules on plants of strict variety characteristics. 
We propose to offer a classification of maize, and a description of 
varieties, so far as we have had material in our collections. — 
The first class we shall take isthe sweet corns, which we call an 
agricultural species, indicating the agricultural relalionaiiy bya* 
placed between the generic and specific name. 
Zea * SAcCHARATA, THE SWEET Corns. 
An agricultural species of Zea mays L., characterized by the 
car tilaginous translucency of its kernels which when ripe and dry are 
crinkled and crimped, wrinkled, or wrinkled and shrivelled ; by the 
absence of visible starch in a cross section of the kernel ; and by the 
tenderness and sweetness of the kernels ina green state: while unripe 
usually white and plump kernelled: when ripe, of a peculiar amber 
color, but in varieties flesh colored to red, slate colored to nearly or 
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