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II. In which respect do the dwarf-plants differ in their outward 
aspect from the mother-variety ? 
It was quite a matter of chance that I came into possession of 
my dwarf-hyacinths: When inspecting in flowering-time the deep- 
blue spikes of King of the Blues one will sometimes detect plants 
whose inflorescence is of a dark pink colour entirely or partially 
i.e. in a larger or smaller sector. This budvariation occurs repea- 
tedly. Commercially it is termed Queen of the Pinks. The number of 
chromosomes agrees with that of King of the Blues. 
Now I observed, in different places, in two separate batches of 
King of the Blues, quite apart from each other, somatic varieties, 
which were conspicuous for a carmin-red colour of the flower, i.e. a 
darker colour than that of Queen of the Pinks. 1 consequently cul- 
tivated them. As they were growing among small, young plants of 
King of the Blues the small dimensions did not strike us at once. 
Only after some years did these differences manifest themselves. As 
to forms they resemble exactly King of the Blues and Queen of 
the Pinks. As to dimensions, however, they are much smaller. The 
flowerspikes, the separate flowers and their parts, the position of 
the flowers upon the pedunele, the narrow, stiff stalk-leaves, so 
characteristic of these varieties, in all the shape is the same, the 
size is different. 
The flowering-times agree. The foliage withers simultaneously. 
How great the quantitative differences of the fullgrown bulbs are, 
may be best gathered from the following table. In succession the 
circumference, the weight and the volume of the bulbs of King of 
the Blues, Queen of the Pinks, dwarf n°. 1 and dwarf n°. 2, are 
determined. 
King of the Blues 23 CM. 149 G. | 150 c.M3 
Queen of the Pinks 23.3" 1 Tot: “5 160 3 
Dwarf n°. r. et 200 10 26 s 
Dwarf n°. 2, Ist bulb js 20 a 20 s 
id , 2nd bulb 105 , 19;5 4 20 8218 
id , 3rd bulb res 20 ; 20 
But besides these quantitative differences the difference in tlie 
rate of vegetative propagation is also remarkable. It is safe to say 
that King of the Blues and Queen of the Pinks propagate vegeta- 
tively ten times quicker than the dwarfs, whether they multiply 
