Polycephalic Poppies 397 



when the weather was so bad as to reduce the 

 number in the control experiments to 10%. 



It would be quite superfluous to give more de- 

 tails or to describe additional experiments. 

 Suffice to say, that the results all point in the 

 same direction, and that pistillody of the pop- 

 pies always clearly responds to the treatment, 

 especially to external conditions during the first 

 few weeks, that is, during the period of sensi- 

 tiveness. The healthier and the stronger the 

 plants the more fully they will develop their 

 anomaly. 



In conclusion something is to be said about 

 the choice of the seed. Obviously it is possible 

 to compare seeds of different origin by sowing 

 and treating them in the same way, giving at- 

 tention to all the points above mentioned. In 

 doing so the first question will be, whether there 

 is a difference between the seeds of strong 

 plants with a bright crown around the head and 

 those of weaker individuals with lesser develop- 

 ment of the anomaly. It is evident that such a 

 difference must be expected, since the nutrition 

 of the seed takes place during the period of the 

 greatest sensitiveness. 



But the experiments will show whether this 

 effect holds good against the influences which 

 tend to change the direction of the development 

 of the anomaly during the time of germination. 



