Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 79.djvu/351

Rh

and the central spike of the tassel, and strong evidence was found in support of the theory that the ear was a development from the central spike of the tassel borne on a lateral branch of the plant, the other branches of this tassel becoming abortive. Good examples were found of ears, showing remnants of these lateral tassel branches, confirming the above statements. At that time the author had only observed the perfect flowers in the very young stages of development and on more or less deformed plants. Fig. 1 is reproduced from the article referred to, indicating the character of these flowers.

Since then, types of corn showing this hermaphrodite flower on normal types of ears have been observed. Fig. 2 is an illustration of such an ear. Some thirty plants of this were grown and all came true