CHA.P. I. 



PRIMULA VERIS. 



19 



len-grains, were more masculine in nature. Accord- 

 ingly, in I860, I marked a few cowslips of both forms 

 growing in my garden, and others growing in an 

 open field, and others in a shady wood, and gathered 

 and weighed the seed. In all the lots the short- 

 styled plants yielded, contrary to my expectation, most 

 seed. 



Taking the lots together, the following is the 



result : 



Table 1. 





Number 



of 



Plants. 



Number of 



Umbels 

 produced. 



Number of 



Capsules 



produced. 



[ Weight of 

 Seed 





in grains. 





9 



13 



33 

 51 



199 

 261 



83 

 91 



If we compare the weight from an equal number of 

 plants, and from an equal number of umbels, and from 

 an equal number of capsules of the two forms, we get 

 the following results: 



Table 2. 



Short-styled cowslips 

 Long-styled cowslips . 



Number 

 of 



Plants. 



10 

 10 



Weight 



of Seed 



ingrains. 



92 



70 



Number 



of 

 Umbels. 



100 

 100 



Weight 



of 



Seed. 



251 



178 



Number 

 of Cap- 

 sules. 



100 

 100 



Weight 



of Seed ia 



grains. 



41 

 34 



So that, by all these standards of comparison, the 

 short-styled form is the more fertile; if we take the 

 number of umbels (which is the fairest standard, for 

 large and small plants are thus equalised), the short- 

 styled plants produce more seed than the long-styled, 

 in the proportion of nearly four to three. 



In 1861 the trial was made in a fuller and fairer 

 manner. A number of wild plants had been trans- 



