East: The Explanation of Self-Steriliiy 



383 



able to grow and bring about fertilization. 

 However, the work on alsike clover does not 

 support this hypothesis. 



This idea of Moore is diametrically 

 opposed to modern conceptions of 

 colloid chemistry. Plant enzymes do 

 not pass freely through cell membranes 

 and diffuse through the tissues. They 

 . are very local in their action as is shown 

 very clearly by the definite lines of 

 demarcation between colors in certain 

 corollas. Nevertheless, to be on the 

 safe side the writer made two experi- 

 ments calculated to test the effect of 

 cross-pollen tubes on self -pollen tubes. 

 In the first experiment five pistils were 

 pollinated with a definite number of 

 cross-pollen grains under a binocular 

 and then covered with self -pollen. 

 Three capsules matured, and yielded 

 seeds as follows: 



No. cross-pollen 



Pistil No. grains used No. seeds produced 



1 51 46 



2 48 42 



3 50 41 



Since the experimental error was 

 probably only plus or minus three 

 pollen grains, the indications are clearly 

 that no self-pollen tubes contributed 

 toward the production of -these seeds. 

 But, of course, the matter is not proved 

 definitely. A moie critical test was 

 the following : Three pistils of a white- 

 flowered plant breeding true for white 

 flowers were selfed. After a few hours 

 compatible pollen from a plant breeding 

 true for red flowers was placed upon 

 these same stigmas. Capsules full of 

 seed were obtained. These seed, if 

 produced only by the action of the 

 pollen from the red flowered plant 

 should produce only red flowered plants 

 since red is dominant. Not all the 

 plants from these seeds have blossomed, 

 but thus far no white-flowered plants 

 have been produced. 



The main theses defended in Moore's 

 paper, therefore, are both based upon 

 incorrect observations and upon fal- 

 lacious reasoning. 



The Mentality of Orphans 



The mentality of orphans and of 

 children who are dependent on public 

 care for other reasons, is low, according 

 to Professor Rudolf Pintner of Ohio 

 State University, in the Journal of 

 Educational Psychology (April, 1917). 

 Stenquist, Thorndike and Trabue, test- 

 ing dependent children in New York, 

 found that in general they fell below 

 public school children of the same age, 

 in intelligence. Hall secured similar 

 results in New York state orphan 



asyltams. Streeter, testing the child- 

 ren in the orphanages of New Hamp- 

 shire, found 49% normal, 30% back- 

 ward and 21% feebleminded. Pintner 

 tested 82 children for the Ohio State 

 Board of Charities and found that only 

 37% were normal, 19% being feeble- 

 minded and the rest backward. A 

 test which he made of 106 children in a 

 county children's home showed 7% who 

 were bright, 35% normal, 11% feeble- 

 minded, and the remainder backward. 



Disabled Soldiers Marry in England 



As soldiers who were disabled at the 

 front are likely to be of superior eugenic 

 qualit3^ it is important to their nation 

 that their disabilities should not pre- 

 vent them from leaving descendants. 

 The English Eugenics Review, which 

 has interested itself in this problem, 

 publishes some interesting facts in its 

 last issue. Of 440 blinded soldiers 

 entering St. Dunstan's Hostel, 144 

 were previously married and 296, or 

 rather more than two-thirds, were 



single. Of these single men 55, or 

 18%, have married since their disable- 

 ment. It is noted that the wives are 

 to be considered in every case as ex- 

 tremely suitable, and almost without 

 exception as unusually good looking. 

 It is evident, therefore, that the idea 

 suggested recently in England of find- 

 ing wives for blinded soldiers emong 

 those girls who are physically so un- 

 attractive as otherwise to be destined 

 to celibacy, is not being carried out. 



