The Choice of Seeds in Selection. 337 
biennial individuals from the upper and lower fruits of 
the same spike. In Viola tricolor maxima the small sum- 
mer Mowers furnish the main quantity of seed. It never 
occurs to a seed collector to regard them as of less value 
than the first seeds. In many double plants, especially 
in Begonia, it is practically only the flowers which bloom 
last that produce pollen and set seed. This seed is always 
sown without any detrimental result to the degree of 
doubling of the varietv. 
o * 
On the other hand it is generally regarded as desirable 
to harvest the lower seeds of the inflorescence in the cox- 
comb, Celosia cristata ; and in the case of the crested spe- 
cies of ferns (Varietates cristatae) the spores which are 
found on the dissected leaves, and still more on the tips 
of such leaves, are regarded as the best, although spores 
found on the other parts of the leaves will certainly re- 
peat the anomaly. 1 Another instance which has been 
studied by many investigators is furnished by the stocks, 
whose double varieties have been known for a very long 
time, for a century at least, to consist in each generation, 
of double and single plants in about equal numbers. 2 
The former are absolutely sterile, lacking pistils and 
pollen as a result of their petalomania (see Vol. I, p. 
194), so that only the latter can play a part in the con- 
tinuation of the race. There are certain differences be- 
tween the seeds which produce the single and the double 
specimens. The latter are heavier and germinate more 
quickly, 3 and the young plants can be sorted out in the 
1 See the long list of references given by GOEBEL, Organograplne, 
I, p. 158 ; VERLOT, loc. cit., p. 97 ; CARRIERE, loc. cit., p. 67 ; KENCELY 
BRIDGMAXN, Ann. Sc. not., 4 Serie, Vol. XVI, p. 367; C. T. DRUERY. 
fount. Roy. Hort. Soc., Vol. XII, III, 1890, p. 517, etc. 
2 E. CHATE FILS, Culture pratique des giro-flees, Paris, Biblioth. 
de 1'horticulteur praticien. 
3 NOBBE, Botan. Centralbhtt, Vol. XXXII, 1887, p. 253. 
