G. 1'. HECTOR. 3 



Stok* summarize fully all the work done up to date, chiefly by 

 the latter i»i Java, on the subject of rice-breeding in general, 

 including the question of pollination and cross-fertilisation. 

 According to these authorities, self-fertilisation is the usual 

 process, but cross-fertilisation may not infrequently take place 

 between neighbouring plants, and must be taken account of in 

 all breeding work. 



Accordino; to our observations on the Dacca farm, the actual 

 process of pollination is as follows : — 



The spikelets, or flowers, mature from above downwards in a 

 fairly regular sequence, and in the case of any individual flower 

 the opening of the glumes and pollination takes place, as a rule, 

 on the same day as that on which it emerges above the level 

 of the leaf-sheath if this happens before mid-day, or at latest 

 in the course of the forenoon of the following day. In almost 

 every normal case, dehiscence of the anthers and pollination 

 take place practically simultaneously with the opening of the 

 glumes, sometimes even before they open at all, and at the 

 time of dehiscence the stigmas are still enclosed and the 

 anthers still within the shelter of the glumes. Hence self- ferti- 

 lisation appears to be the usual method. In the case of Aus 

 varieties, which in Lower Bengal flower during the months of 

 May and June, the opening of the glumes and dehiscence of the 

 anthers commences usually between the hours of 7 and 8 a.m. 

 and continues till about 10 a.m. when it stops for the day, 

 but in the case of the Aman varieties which generally begin 

 to flower in late October or early November, not till later in 

 the forenoon, beginning usually between 9 and 10 a.m., and 

 continuing till mid-day. The later time of day at which the 

 flowers of the Aman varieties open is probably due to the nmcli 

 lower temperatures in October and November. 



Immediately before the flowers open and dehiscence takes 

 place it may be seen that the top of the anthers is just touching 

 the concave roof formed by the glumes which are still closed, 



* Fnnvirtli.Die Zuchtungcler Landwirtschaftlichen KultnrpflanzcD, B. V., 191L'. n>- 36— 51. 



