Chap. VI. CROSSED AND SELF-FERTILISED PLANTS. 189 





eapsiue ; and this may be attributed, at least in chief part, to 

 the exclusion of moths. 



Six flowers on a plant covered by a net were crossed with 

 pollen from a distinct plant and produced six capsules, containing 

 by weight 4*44 grains of seed. Six other flowers were fertilised 

 with their own pollen and produced only three capsules, con- 

 taining only 1*49 grain weight of seed. From this it follows 

 that an equal number of crossed and self-fertilised capsules would 

 have contained seeds by weight as 100 to 67. I should not have 

 thought the proportional contents of so few capsules worth 

 giving, had not nearly the same result been confirmed by several 

 subsequent trials. 



Seeds of the two lots were placed on sand, and many of the 

 self-fertilised seeds germinated before the crossed, and were 

 rejected. Several pairs in an equal state of germination wero 

 planted on the opposite sides of Pots I. and II. ; but only the 

 tallest plant on each side was measured. Seeds were also sown 

 thickly on the two sides of a large pot (III.), the seedlings being 

 afterwards thinned, so that an equal number was left on each 

 side ; the three tallest on each side being measured. The pots 

 were kept in the greenhouse, and the plants were trained up 

 sticks. For some time the young crossed plants had no ad- 

 vantage in height over the self-fertilised; but their leaves 

 were larger. When fully grown and in flower the plants were 

 measured, as follows : 



Table LXXVI. 

 Petunia violacea (First Generation). 



The five tallest crossed plants here average 30 "8, and the five 

 tallest self-fertilised 26 inches in height, or as 100 to 84. 



