334 Xufritioii ami Selection. 



has studied the relation between the size of the seeds 

 and rapidity of germination.^ As a rule the larger seeds 

 germinate faster than the smaller ones; and thus their 

 weight favors the production of strong plants in more 

 than one way. Moreover, as has long been know^n, tlie 

 seeds which germinate the first are the best and produce 

 the finest plants. When harvesting of flower seeds has 

 to be done in the field, the first seeds often fall out before 

 tlie harvest ; they germinate easily and usually do so at 

 once ; and we all know that from such seeds the finest 

 specimens may be produced. In fact for certain definite 

 species the handbooks recommend the practice of allow- 

 ing them to sow themselves, since this self-sow^ing leads 

 to much better results than are obtained even from seed 

 carefully harvested at the proper time. 



The question as to where the best seeds occur on the 

 ])lant is one that has been much discussed. Let us con- 

 sider the sugar beet as our first instance. In this species 

 2-5 or more fruits are associated to form a so-called clump 

 (Fig. 62), in which the upper flower produces the larg- 

 est seed Fig. 62 b) ; whilst tlie lateral seeds of the same 

 clump are less fine and markedly smaller and differ 

 amongst themselves very much in size.^ This phenom- 

 enon has been recently subjected by Briem to an exhaus- 

 tive investigation.^ He sowed the clumps, and planted 

 out their individual seedlings separately in a row. In 



percentage value of from 18.9 to 20.1% of sugar, and with roots 

 weighing 900-1100 grams. 



^Van de Velde, Invlocd van dc grootte der caden op dc kiniiiiig. 

 Botanisch Jaarb. Gent, 1898, pp. 109-131. 



' Kriinungsgeschichfr dcr Zurkcrri'ihc, Landw. Jalirb.. VTTT, 1R70, 

 P- 14, 



' H. Brtem. Sludicu i'lhcr Saincnri'ihcn, clncm Riibcnknauc} cnf- 

 stammcnd. Oestcrr.-Ungar. Zeitsclir. f. Zuckerindustrie und Land- 

 wirthsch., 1900, Pts. TT, TV, and W. 



