1066 
The foregoing shows that all the phenomena observed in the 
different crossings are, without exception, completely explained by 
the action of the factors B and C in relation to the factors for 
broadness which are present. Another question now arises with 
reference to the strength of the inhibitory influence of C: it is the 
following. Does C exercise an influence on the factors for broadness 
occurring in the common blue or common white flax only or are 
the additional factors for broadness present in the Egyptian flax 
also subject to the inhibitory action of C? From the observations 
something indeed can be deduced with respect to this. Tbe average 
breadth of the common blue flax is 7.0 mm. and of the common 
white 7.1 mm., whilst that of the narrow-petalled white is 3.3 mm. 
The breadth therefore is decreased from 3.7 to 3.8 mm. by the 
influence of C. Now in the crossing of the Egyptian flax with the 
narrow-petalled white the average breadth of 100 blue individuals 
in F, was 10.8 mm. and of 100 white 4.6 mm. That is a difference 
of 6.2 mm. Here, where the broadness-factors peculiar to the 
Egyptian flax are also present, the decrease in breadth caused by C 
is more marked. This is also evident from a comparison of the 
maximum that is reached by the white offspring of this crossing 
with the maximum of the Egyptian flax. The former amounts to 
11.4 mm., the latter to 16.4 mm., that is to say there is a difference 
of 5 mm., a good deal more therefore than the diminution which the 
breadth of the common white flax suffers under the influence of C. 
\ 
As other investigators have many times shown there occur in the 
plant not only factors which are quite independent of each other, 
but in many cases the perceptible action of one. factor depends on 
the presence or absence of one or more other factors. It is even 
likely that no single factor is wholly independent of others, but that 
in many cases the factors only appear to be so, because in the 
investigation the two forms crossed, which are found to differ in 
respect of one given factor, are identical as regards other factors 
connected with that one. Thus, for instance, from the crossing of 
the common blue flax AABBCC with the common white AABB, 
it is only evident that the former has one factor more, than the 
latter, namely C, but not that this factor C is in a certain sense 
dependent on £ and can only have an inhibitory action on the 
factors for broadness, if B is absent. 
The present investigation shows that the factors may be mutually 
interrelated in a complicated way and may exercise an influence on 
each other. In the varieties of Linum usitatissimum which have been 
