!N^EW York Agricultueal Experiment Station. 425 



tween genotypes inferior to the average plants, and conseqiientlj 

 the offsj^ring were inferior to the average. In the case where the 

 cross surpassed the average plants, genotypes superior to the 

 average may have been used. The transmissive power of indi- 

 viduals can be determined only by the study of the progenitors 

 and the offspring, not by an inspection of the individuals. 



In 1876, Dr. W. J. Beal (1), then of the Michigan Agri- 

 cultural College, arrived at the conclusion that a mixture of 

 varieties was desirable, and in his discussion on changing seeds, 

 he said: *' To improve or infuse new vigor into varieties (or 

 races I should more properly call them) I propose in case of corn 

 and some other seeds to get seeds from remote parts where it has 

 been grown for some years, and plant near each other and mix 

 them. Since making the above notes (the idea was originated with 

 myself) I have been delighted in reading Darwin's new work on 

 'Fertilization of Plants'". After two years of experimenting, 

 Beal (2) made the following statement: "Mr. Darwin had not 

 tested the crossing of flowers by foreign stock in cases of our 

 fruits, nor had he tried the same on but few of our vegetables. 

 He had not tried it op any of the cereals except on Indian corn, 

 and on this imperfectly, because corn will not ripen in the open 

 air in England. It seemed to me the greatest chance ever offered 

 to make some experiments in this country for the benefit of our 

 farmers," In a cross between two strains of yellow dent corn 

 grown by Mr. Wolton and Mr. Hathaway, an increase in the yield 

 was obtained which exceeded the yield of the uncrossed dents in 

 the proportion of 153 to 100. In the bean crosses, the crossing 

 being left to the insects, Beal secured remarkable results — the 

 crosses giving 1,859 pods to 992 pods of the uncrossed or pure 

 variety. The bean seed of the crossed stock weighed 70.33 ounces, 

 the seed of the uncrossed stock 29.77 ounces, or in other words, 

 an increase in weight of 236 to 100 was found in favor of the 

 crossed bean. 



In 1879, at a Connecticut farmer's convention, Prof. W. H. 

 Brewer (6), of Yale College, stated that a Mr. Hinman had found 

 a mixture of five varieties of corn — even though poor and good 



