344 REPORT OF THE CONFERENCE ON GENETICS. 
HYBRIDS AND VARIATIONS IN WHEAT. 
By PxHinierE DE Vitmorty, of Paris. 
THe few observations which I propose to present to the Conference were 
made on the pedigree of wheats, which may be described as hybrids or 
crosses, according as to whether or not you rank them as cultivated 
wheats of different species. 
When my father began, in 1878, cross-fertilisation between the 
different types of wheats, the object he had in view, and which he 
fully proved, was that all our wheats—with the exception of Triticum 
monococcum—all came from one and the same common origin. In con- 
sequence of his experiments, he was able to base his argument on two 
well-proved facts, which were— 
(1) That the six* species of cultivated wheats can be crossed amongst 
themselves and give products indefinitely fertile. 
(2) That on crossing any two of these six, the other four may appear 
amongst the results. 
The observations of my father on this subject will be found recorded 
in the “Bulletin de la Société botanique de France” (Jan. and Dec. 
1880; Jan. 1883; and Jan. 1888). 
From then, the most interesting and marked types have been kept 
from year to year. Some of them have shown themselves to be wonder- 
fully fixed, whilst others have constantly varied; and others, again, 
having appeared fixed for several years, have suddenly entered upon a 
stage of extreme variability. Certain strains had, from the very beginning, 
produced so many forms that, in 1890, it became necessary to start on 
a severe course of elimination. Besides this, in 1891, a strong frost 
destroyed many interesting types, particularly amongst the dwrwm wheats. 
Notwithstanding the dryness of the subject, I decided to enter into 
it, thinking that the experiments made, in some cases, on more than 
thirty generations upon the same family of wheats might be of some 
interest from the point of view of showing the transmission of the most 
marked characteristics amongst hybrids. 
As for the families existing before my father’s communications, I shall 
shortly summarise them up to that time. Those that have originated 
since that time I shall describe in all their variations from the beginning. 
1. ‘CHIDDAM D’AUTOMNE A EPI BLANC’ xX ‘POULARD ROUX VELU 
DE BEAUCE.’ 
(Tr. sativum x Tr. turgidum.) 
This cross was effected by my father in 1878, who described the first 
phases of variation.tT 
* Triticum sativum Lam., Tr. turgidum L., Tr. durum D sf., Tr. polonicwm L., 
Tr. Spelta L., Tr. amyleum Seringe. 
{ Bull. Soc. Bot. France, Jan. 10, 1880. 
