Transactions

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: The male flowers are in a panicle on the top called the tassel, and the female flowers in a spike on the stalk below, called the ear. The silk consists of the pistils of the female flowers. When the tassel is in blossom the pollen dust falling on the silk of the ear is transmitted by a tiny thread of silk to each and every kernel on the ear. If not thus transmitted the kernel is abortive, and fails to mature. A very interesting experiment to demonstrate the method which Nature takes to produce new varieties by cross-fertilization can be readily made by any one by planting two rows of sweet corn, of two different kinds, beside each other. To have the result more distinctly shown, plant one row of the black Mexican, variety and the other of a white variety, such as the Crosby, coming into tassel at the same time. On ripening, you will find the ears of the black variety with kernels of the white corn, and the white ears with kernels of the black; also some kernels apparently partaking of a mixture of both. This experiment will show how unerringly Nature's laws act to produce given results, and that with all varieties of vegetables this wonderful process of reproduction is continually evolving new forms and varieties before unknown. Where the pollen of one variety falls on the silk of the other, the kernel connected with that silk will be changed by cross-fertilization. If any one desires to attempt to produce new varieties let him study into the methods which Nature takes to perform her wondrous works, and the better he can understand the working of her unchanging laws, and infuse into his own soul the inspiration of that wondrous life that lives on every hand, the more will his success be assured, and the more complete his triumph. Discussion. The Chairman said ...