VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. 



The results obtained in these investigations may be summed 

 up as follows : — 



1. The hairs on the chaff of felted wheats vary considerably in 

 length and density and one or more kinds of hairs may be present in 

 the same wheat. In all the hybridization experiments carried out so 

 far, each kind of hair has proved to be due to a single factor, and these 

 factors are inherited independently of one another. The number 

 of kinds of hairs and consequently of gametic factors involved in the 

 felting of wheats is probably large. All of the Indian macaroni 

 wheats examined up to the present and also all densely felted 

 wheats have two kinds of hairs. 



2. The red colour of the grain of wheat may be due to the 

 presence of one, two or three factors which are inherited independent- 

 ly of each other. Each is capable of producing a red colouration, 

 but the shade of red thus produced varies. It is possible to isolate 

 from a cross between a red wheat with a multiple grain colour and a 

 white wheat, wheats possessing grains of intermediate shades of red 

 which bred true at once. The effect of the two red factors in Pun- 

 jab Type 9 is cumulative, and the colour of the grain of this wheat is 

 deeper than that produced by either of the two factors singly. Only 

 one factor was found to occur in all the crosses between red and white 

 chaffed wheats which after an intermediate K, gave the usual 

 1:2:1 ratio in the F,. 



3. The existence of at least two factors in the bearding of 

 wheats has been demonstrated, and it has been sIiowji that a sharp 

 distinction must be drawn in the future between wheats which are 

 absolutely beardless, and those with very short awns or tips. The 

 usual practice of classing all wheats with awns not longer than one 

 quarter of an inch or so as beardless is misleading. 



