Leighty: Carman’s Wheat-Rye Hybrids 
progeny in turn being again fertilized 
by rye pollen would produce plants 
seven-eights rye by parentage. By 
continuing this process plants fifteen- 
sixteenths rye, and so on in the same 
fractional series, could be secured, the 
further generations thus all the time 
approaching pure rye in composition. 
The laws of Mendel were not then 
known. 
Actuat:d by the desire to produce 
rye in this way, and thus, if possible, 
to throw some light on the origin of 
wheat and rye, Carman, with true 
scientific spirit, made the crosses as 
required by the theory, carefully year 
after year. A head on one of the eight 
“fertile plants of the original cross’’ was 
emasculated and pollinated with rye 
pollen in 1884. One kernel resulted, 
which grew and produced twenty or 
twenty-two heads on which were three 
kernels. This was apparently an actual 
hybrid of wheat and rye, the female 
parent being wheat, as pointed out 
above. It was considered to be, how- 
ever, three-quarters rye. These three 
kernels grew and two produced plants, 
but their subsequent history cannot be 
accurately followed from the accounts 
given. 
TRIALS COME TO AN END 
A head of one of the hybrids most 
resembling rye was emasculated and 
pollinated with rye pollen in 1885. On 
this, seventeen kernels were formed, 
which resulted in fourteen plants the 
next year, these being considered as 
three-quarters rye. By following this 
427 
system with one (or possibly both—the 
account is ambiguous) of these lots of 
supposed three-quarter rye plants ‘“‘sev- 
eral plants were produced with a sup- 
posed parentage seven-eights rye,’”’ and 
at least one with a supposed parentage 
of fifteen-sixteenths rye. The supposed 
fifteen-sixteenths rye plant was entirely 
sterile, and the supposed seven-eighths 
plants were nearly all sterile. In spite 
of these discouragements the experi- 
menter continued until finally he writes: 
“This trial has come to an end through 
necessity or through causes over which 
we had no control, viz., absolute 
barrenness of the latest progeny.” 
The. beliet. as expressed that” “aay, 
endeavors to originate a hybrid which 
shall be more than three-quarters rye 
will prove ineffectual.”” No variety of 
supposed three-quarters rye parentage 
was apparently ever actually introduced, 
although one known as No. 11 was 
placed for propagation and introduction, 
but no later account of it is found. 
In 1897, several years after his differ- 
ent wheats had been distributed, some 
one asked “‘Are there any of the Rural 
hybrid wheats that you believe to be 
ahead of all other kinds in hardiness and 
prolificacy?’? The candid spirit of the 
man is shown in the reply: ‘‘No, we 
have not received any reports which 
would justify us in placing any of the 
Rural hybrid wheats above the popular 
kinds of today. . Of the crossbred 
wheats which have originated at the 
Rural Grounds, the R. N. Y. No. 57 
is very promising.’”’ And so the matter 
stands. 
Correction 
Through an editorial blunder; the 
paper on Pollinating Fruit Trees, in the 
last issue of the JOURNAL OF HEREDITY 
was credited to Leslie Gordon Corrie. 
The paper was written by, and should 
have been credited to, Reg. W. Peters, 
director of the Queensland Acclimatiza- 
tion Society, Lawnton, Queensland, 
Australia. Mr. Peters was formerly 
associated with William Bateson at the 
John Innes Horticultural Institution, 
Merton, Surrey, England, and took up 
the work in Australia last year. Mem- 
bers should note this correction in their 
copies of the August issue, in order that 
they may not repeat the error in making 
citations of Mr. Peters’ paper at any 
time in the future. 
