EXPERIMENT STATION EEPORT. 395 



unions between varieties of the same species — that is, crosses. With 

 the salsify the combination lias been between two species, and the re- 

 sult is a genuine hybrid. The two parents in this instance were the 

 garden salsify and the wild species. The two agree in many char- 

 acteristics, but are widely different in the flower, particularly the color, 

 which is a shade of violet in the garden sort and unmixed yellow in 

 the other. Last year, in their first season, the hybrid plants were 

 easily recognized by a combination of the qualities of the two species, 

 but most readily of all by the color of the flowers, which was dark red 

 violet. There were two types of these direct hybrids, differing only 

 in the amount of yellow in the center of the head — that is, there were 

 the purple red clusters and those that in distinction may be termed 

 yellow-eyed. The type was constant upon any one plant, and number 

 of each type was about equal. Coming to the seedlings from these 

 plants that were grown by the hundred this past season, the case is 

 quite different, and no less than thirty-six colors or hues found, as 

 determined by Prang's color chart. Of these the thirteen with larger 

 numbers out of 200 plants examined are as follows : Yellow, 10 ; 

 light yellow, 12; lighter yellow, 6; darker orange red orange, 9; darker 

 red orange, 6 ; darker red, 23 ; dark red, 13 ; light red violet, 9 ; lighter 

 red violet, 7 ; violet red violet, 23 ; light violet red violet, 35 ; lighter 

 violet red violet, 29 ; dark violet gray, 6. Both parents are repre- 

 sented and many intergrades, but the garden salsify has 103 violet 

 reds to 28 plants that represent the yellows of the wild species. It 

 is seen that while the first year there were two uniform types as to 

 colors,, in the second season it is far otherwise. In short, there was 

 a wide diversity, with a strong tendency to return to the parent forms, 

 but at the same time many intermediates. 



All of the cases cited show that the second generation is the earliest 

 moment when the real results of the cross show themselves, after wliich 

 the fixing of the desired new forms must begin by selecting further 

 breeding with one or other parent form by inbreeding or a combina- 

 tion of all these means. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH LA'WN GRASSES. 



The nine plots of grass selected in the spring of 189(3 have Ijeen 

 kept closely cut with the lawn-mower during each season, and notes 

 made from time to time upon the condition of each plot. Tlic follow- 

 ing table shows the species of seed sown in each plot, and the condition 

 of the stand of grass, in joercentage, for the past seven years : 



