PLANTS FOR EXPERIMENT 187 



ing out of the discovery several years ago of a 

 seedling that produced leaves much longer than 

 the ordinary, as well as a large, strong stalk, and 

 a large cluster of blossoms different in form from 

 those of the ordinary orchard grass. 



The plant was so individual that it could be 

 distinguished at a considerable distance by its 

 greater size and anomalous appearance. 



The seeds of this plant were found to follow 

 the variant type of their parent somewhat closely. 



The type has not been entirely fixed, but is 

 worthy of further attention. In a few more sea- 

 sons, according to present indications, it will be 

 so fixed as to produce regularly from seed a type 

 of orchard grass that would nearly double the 

 growth of the ordinary variety. 



Another variable grass that I have cultivated 

 extensively in recent years, for observational pur- 

 poses rather than commercial varieties, and from 

 which new varieties are being developed, is the 

 species known as Agrostis Fontanesi, recently 

 introduced from Algeria. From the same plant 

 have been produced seedlings with broad spread- 

 ing panicles, others with compact spikes, and yet 

 others with beautiful spreading spikes. On sow- 

 ing seed from different panicles it was found 

 that the tendency to compactness or looseness of 

 head was transmitted or accentuated, so that 



