498 WHITE— STUDIES OF INHERITANCE IN PISUM. 



stage in the history of genetics, compHcation and confusion appeared 

 on the scene. Bateson (21, p. 198) has since shown such varieties 

 as the Imperials to have opaque green seed coats and yellow coty- 

 ledons. Seton's obseiwations were on seed coat color, while Goss 

 dealt with cotyledon color. Like Knight, however, Goss did not 

 see the significance of his results nor did he determine the numerical 

 proportions of the two colors of seed in the Fo generation. 



Gaertner (35) also made pea crosses, as well as crosses of many 

 other plants. He interpreted the dominance of yellow cotyledon 

 color over green as due to xenia (the direct and immediate effect of 

 the male parent on the maternal tissues), not apparently aware that 

 the characters yellow and green seed color were those of the embryo 

 of a new generation. 



Darwin (22) grew and crossed peas and noted the extreme vigor 

 of Fi hybrids as compared to the parent forms growing beside them, 

 and studied variation and inheritance in several characters of peas. 

 He had, however, never heard of Mendel's work. 



Laxton (22) and others had noticed the rather remarkable con- 

 stancy of pea varieties, a number of which were known to be twenty 

 or more years old. Laxton (the ancestor of the present well-known 

 family of pea and fruit breeders) also furnished Darwin with data 

 on the relation of environment to the production of double flowers 

 in peas, as well as data on the inheritance of such characters as 

 purple pod and seed color. 



Masters (59) wrote letters to the Gardner's Chronicle against 

 the practice (unfortunately still quite common) of changing the 

 names of old varieties, so as to increase their sales. Judging by the 

 printed replies, his accusations were very much resented by the 

 seedsmen. Masters introduces one of his communications by this 

 quaint reference to his own qualifications as a pea specialist, " And 

 first let me give you my pretensions to pass an opinion upon the 

 matter, that, with your readers (to whom I am unknown), I may 

 stand in a fair position. Be it known, then, that forty years ago, 

 my father, of good memory, employed my then young eyes to detect 

 the differences of the peas he intended for seed, and many a patient 

 hour was devoted to this most necessary of operations under his 

 guidance" (1850). Masters also claims (22) to have raised four 

 distinct sub-varieties from one plant — 



