328 THE STRUCTUEE OF FLOWERS. 



When we look back and remember that tlie plant was 

 " absolutely self-sterile " in Brazil, and compare that fact 

 with these final results, it is difficult to see how self-fertilisa- 

 tion can be charged in any way with injuriousness. Though 

 the results may have shown little or no advantage from 

 crossing, it does not follow " that the differences," namely 

 greater height, weight, or fertility of the self-fertilised, were 

 attributable " to the inferiority of the self-fertilised seedlings, 

 due to the injurious effects of self -fertilisation." 



On the other hand, the facts appear to warrant the 

 conclusion that this north-temperate plant became barren 

 in Brazil in consequence of the hot climate ; that the 

 recovery of its self-fertilising powers was due to the English 

 climate better suiting it ; that it at once responded to the 

 effort, so that its self-fertility rose in two generations from 



to 86"6 p.c. The plants, too, thus raised showed nothing to 

 indicate any constitutional derangement that might, with 

 any show of reason, be attributable to self- fertilisation. 



From the preceding observations upon Mr. Darwin's 

 reasoning, I think the reader will now see that it is not so 

 conclusive in proving the existence of any injuriousness in 

 self-fertilisalion as he appeared to think. 



This chapter was already in type when I met with the 

 following passage in " The Life and Letters of C. Darwin," 

 written in May, 1881 : " I now believe . . . that I ought to 

 have insisted more strongly than I did on the many adap- 

 tations for self-fertilisation, though I was well aware of 

 many such adaptations." 



With regard to the values of other kinds of fertilisation, 



1 must refer to Mr. Darwin's works ; for it is beyond my 

 purpose to discuss them, as they have no special bearing 

 upon the origin of floral structures. 



