236 



EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



F^RST_ 

 'LEAF 



dented or scratched and so weakened that water is more readily absorbed and 

 the seed coat more easily broken by the swelling germ. Treated and un- 

 treated seed of M. sativa showed germination tests of 994 •'^nd 91J per cent, re- 

 spectively, as compared with 94 and 86* for M. media, and 81i and 62| for 

 M. falcata. 



Right- and left-handedness in barley, R. H. Compton {Proc. Camltridge 

 Phil. Soc, 15 {1910), No. 6, pp. 495-506, figs. 2).— The author's conception of 

 right- and left-handedness in barley is illustrated in the accompanying figure 

 (see fig. 1). 



Observations of 8 varieties of two-rowed barley made to determine the 

 ratio of lefts to rights in the first leaves of seed of different varieties, 

 and of the various kernels from the same individual spikes, indicated that 

 among 12,401 seedlings 7,237, or 58.36 per cent, "had the first leaf twisted in 

 the left-handed fashion." The ratios obtained from the different varieties 

 differed slightly, and " it appears probable that the difference between Plumage 



corn, and Guinness Goldthorpe, for example, is 

 significant." Right- and left-handedness appeared 

 not to be hereditary. 



The same ratio was maintained whether the seed 

 was taken from the odd or even rows of seed on 

 the parent ear. The twist of the last leaf below a 

 spike had no apparent influence on the ratio of 

 right- to left-handed seedlings produced from the 

 spike. 



A further contribution to the study of right- 

 and left-handedness, R. H. Compton {Jour. 

 Genetics, 2 {1912), ISfo. 1, pp. 53-10, figs. 4).— The 

 work reported in this paper confirms the conclu- 

 sions notes above in the case of two-rowed barley, 

 indicating that " although the ratio of lefts to 

 rights is maintained through 3 successive genera- 

 tions, the kind of asymmeti-y itself is not in- 

 herited." An excess of left-handed seedlings also 

 appeared in six-rowed barley and no conspicuous 

 variation of the ratio of lefts to rights among the 

 different rows of grain appeared. The numbers examined, however, were too 

 small to be decisive. 



A variety of millet {Setaria italica) also showed an excess of left-handed 

 seedlings, 54.1 per cent being left-handed. Both stereo-isomeric forms were 

 present in rye. In case of corn the ratio was almost unity (1.010), and there 

 was apparently "no inheritance of right- and left-handedness as such." In 

 case of oats 44.88 per cent of the seedlings were right-handed. The ratios 

 obtained in case of corn kernels varied according to the position of the kernel 

 on the cob, " the seeds on the odd orthostichies giving an excess of right-handed, 

 those on even rows an excess of left-handed offspring" with some exceptions. 



The author suggests that the difference in ratios results from a difference in 

 shape of the material enclosing the developing embryo, and rejects as improb- 

 able an alternative hypothesis involving somatic segregation of symmetry 

 characters in the gametes. 



Chou moellier at Moumahaki {Jovr. New Zeal. Dept. Agr., 4 (1912), No. 2, 

 pp. in, 118, fig. 1). — Although this is the first test of chou moellier for this 

 purpose at this locality, the author regards it as a decided success as a dry 

 weather forage for milking stock. 



■SHEATH- 



L.H, 



R.H. 



Fig. 1.— Right- (R. U.) and 

 left-handed (L. H.) stereo- 

 isomeric seedlings. 



