6 inheritance; of some characters in wheat. 



Another disadvantage in India concerns the examination and 

 storage of the harvest. The wheat season is followed shortly by 

 the monsoon when the damp hot air speedily spoils the wheat and 

 brings on the conditions under which its complete destruction by 

 weevils and moths is only a matter of a very few days. It is not 

 possible therefore to work on the material of the previous harvest 

 after June 1st, so that it frequently happens that the material of one 

 harvest cannot be worked through before sowing time comes round. 

 The crop therefore may have to be stored in safely over at least two 

 monsoons. This is done by putting away the bundles of ears of 

 the single plants, when thoroughly dried, in air-tight iron cylinders 

 where they can be kept at least three years without damage or loss 

 of germinating power. 



India, however, possesses one great advantage in this work, 

 namely, cheap labour. The cost is only about ten per cent, of that 

 of Europe, so that it is a simple matter to conduct the work on a 

 large scale and to sow and reap at least 1,000 plants of each cross 

 in the second generation. It will be seen that in crosses in which one 

 parent contains a three factor character, this number is by no means 

 excessive if the inheritance is to be worked out in anything ap- 

 proaching thoroughness. 



