EXPERIMENTS IN PLANT-HYBRIDISATION*. 



BY GREGOR MENDEL. 



(Read at the Meetings of the 8th February 

 and 8th March, 1865.) 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 



EXPERIENCE of artificial fertilisation, such as is effected 

 with ornamental plants in order to obtain new variations 

 in colour, has led to the experiments which will here be 

 discussed. The striking regularity with which the same 

 hybrid forms always reappeared whenever fertilisation took 

 place between the same species induced further experiments 

 to be undertaken, the object of which was to follow up the 

 developments of the hybrids in their progeny. 



To this object numerous careful observers, such as 

 Kolreuter, Gartner, Herbert, Lecoq, Wichura and others, 

 have devoted a part of their lives with inexhaustible 

 perseverance. Gartner especially, in his work "Die Bas- 

 tarderzeugung im Pflanzenreiche" (The Production of 

 Hybrids in the Vegetable Kingdom), has recorded very 

 valuable observations ; and quite recently Wichura published 

 the results of some profound investigations into the hybrids 



* [This translation was made by the Eoyal Horticultural Society, 

 and is reprinted with modifications and corrections, by permission. 

 The original paper was published in the Verh. naturf. Ver. in Briinn, 

 Abhandlungen, iv. 1865, which appeared in 1866.] 



