—— eee eee SaaS 


65 
-One peculiar characteristic of the crossed corns, a char- 
acteristic which I am unable at present to prove, but yet I 
believe our general experience warrants the statement, is. 
the tendency of a cross-bred to purge itself of its cross, 
and to gradually become nearly thoroughbred. I gather 
this conclusion from the gradual reduction of certain forms, 
and the increase of the predominant form in mixed crops. 
grown successively from the mixed seed of two or more varie- 
ties. It is only from this tendency that under the, in gen- 
eral, careless conditions of cultivation, varieties of corn can 
retain their variety characteristics, under so many diverse 
conditions of climate, soil and culture. 
In these observations one peculiarity may be emphasized. 
The resistance to crossings as between the races and tribes 
seems as great as between the * species; a result entirely 
unexpected. Yet the transference of color through current 
hybridization, without a transference of corresponding var- 
iability in the planted seed, seems to offer at times para- 
doxical results. In some rather rare cases, the characteris- 
tics of two * species occur in the same kernel, but the lines. 
of demarcation are then very distinct, there being no 
blending. ‘ 
The object of the present paper is to show that there is a 
sufficient characterization and permanency to an agricul- 
tural species to warrant attempt at nomenclature, and _ to- 
offer inducement to others in recognizing that agricultural 
divisions may be founded upon data easy of perception, to 
be more specific in their writings, in order that by the 
accumulation of carefully chosen material, agricultural 
science may be furthered. Much more study and larger 
and more widely collected collections must, however, be 
made before our classification can be considered final. 
In the report of 1884, I published a classification of corn 
based upon my then collections and gave illustrations of the 
varieties. While it is deplorable to have to change one’s 
views as radically as this present offering shows, yet it is 
yet more deplorable to think that enlarged collections may 
in time overset the present classification. In agriculture 
we have none of those complete collections which are at 
the service of the botanist in the form of herbaria and illus- 
trated plates, and hence success can only be secured by a 
series of attempts which in their failures shall stimulate 
correctness. It is from this view that I delay at present to- 
re-arrange our formerly described varieties under the pres- 
ent classification, and withhold the description of new 
varieties which have since come to hand. 
