CHAP. VI. 



BETA VULGAKIS. 



229 



competition, as well as to poor conditions. The remaining seeds 

 were sown out of doors in good soil in two long and not closely 

 adjoining rows, so that these seedlings were placed under favour- 

 able conditions, and were not subjected to any mutual com- 

 petition. The self-fertilised seeds in the open ground came up 

 very badly ; and on removing the soil in two or three places, it 

 was found that many had sprouted under ground and had 

 then died. No such case had been observed before. Owing to 

 the large number of seedlings which thus perished, the sur- 

 viving self-fertilised plants grew thinly in the row, and thus had 

 an advantage over the crossed plants, which grew very thickly 

 in the other row. The young plants in the two rows were pro- 

 tected by a little straw during the winter, and those in the two 

 large pots were placed in the greenhouse. 



There was no difference between the two lots in the pots until 

 the ensuing spring, when they had grown a little, and then some 

 of the crossed plants were finer and taller than any of the self- 

 fertilised. When in full flower their stems were measured, and 

 the measurements are given in the following table : 



TABLE XCVI. 



Beta vulgaris. 



The average height of the eight crossed plants is here 

 34-09, and that of the eight self-fertilised plants 29 '81 ; or as 

 100 to 87. 



With respect to the plants in the open ground, each long row 

 was divided into half, so as to diminish the chance of any 

 accidental advantage in one part of either row; and the four 

 tallest plants in the two halves of the two rows were carefully 



