HOWARD, HOWARD AND ABDUR RAHMAN. 317 



have observed any cases of natural crossing, nevertheless it is 

 pointed out that this is not impossible. 



During the last three years a large number of single plant cul- 

 tures of both European and ordinary Indian linseed have been 

 grown by us next to next in the Botanical area at Piisa. The in- 

 troduced kinds are those commonly grown for fibre in Europe and 

 are generally characterised by tall, thin, unbranched stems bearing 

 comparatively few capsules. The Indian linseeds are very different 

 in general appearance. They are short much branched forms with 

 thick stems and many capsules. 



In 1910 many of these single plant cultures contained tall and 

 short, late and early, many and few seeded plants and in some 

 cases the colour of the flowers of the plants in each culture were 

 markedly different. 



Recently attempts have been made in India to introduce the 

 cultivation of linseed for fibre purposes, and for this purpose several 

 consignments of European seed have been grown on the Pusa Farm 

 and at one of the indigo factories in Bihar. It is obviously impor- 

 tant to maintain the best fibre-yielding types of linseed uniform. 

 Besides accidental admixture with country linseed the possibility 

 of crossing between the tall fibre- yielding types and the dwarf 

 branched country kinds has to be considered. If this takes place, 

 the uniformity of the type and its value for fibre will quickly be lost. 



After three years cultures of single plants of the fibre-yielding 

 linseeds at Piisa we have no doubt that natural crossing takes place 

 under Indian conditions, and that this fact will have to be taken 

 into serious consideration in the growth and distribution of linseed 

 for fibre purposes. 



6. The Cruciferous Oil Seeds. 



Several species of oil-yielding seeds belonging to the Cruci- 

 ferce are widely cultivated in India and the seed is an important 

 article of commerce. The oil seeds of Bihar and Bengal belonging 

 to the genus Brassica have been studied by Prain/ who grew for 



I ?v?i\n. Agricultural Ledger, No. 1, 1898. 



