No. 4.] CROSSING OF PLANTS. 53 



something else. Strawberries are so eminently variable 

 that we can find almost any number of varieties growing 

 side by side. A few years ago a gentleman stated in a pub- 

 lie meeting that he had proved to his own satisfaction that a 

 certain pollen had produced a modified berry the same year. 

 I expressed my doubt as to the fact, and said that there 

 was a difference of opinion, and some discussion followed. 

 It seemed that he kept the pollen which he desired to 

 exclude away from his plants by driving down four stakes 

 and throwing a fanning-rnill sieve over the stakes to cover 

 the plants. He expected to keep the pollen off the plants in 

 that way, but we know that 10,000 particles of pollen 

 could pass through that sieve and all manner of insects 

 could pass under it. 



Governor Hoard. The selection of our seeds is a very 

 important question. I have made some experiments with 

 regard to the selection of seed corn. I have been led out 

 into a new line of thought, and I would like to have the pro- 

 fessor analyze it. The ordinary farmer selects his seed corn 

 from the character and appearance of the ear, and goes no 

 further. If the ear is large and promising, he promises to 

 himself large and satisfactory results from the planting of 

 that ear. I took an ear of corn and planted it in one con- 

 tinuous row from the first kernel at the butt of the ear to 

 the last kernel at the tip of the ear, so that the row should 

 represent a long drawn-out ear, each individual kernel 

 standing by itself. The individual equation was very clearly 

 shown, as the professor knows, in the vigor and fertility 

 of the growth of each kernel. That is a mystery ; I can- 

 not solve it ; I never have found anybody who could, — why 

 (me kernel should absorb to itself so much more of strength 

 and rampant growth than another. But I began to think 

 t hat there were a great many grandfathers and grandmothers 

 in this kernel of corn that I had not taken account of, as 

 there is in me. For instance, I am constantly warring 

 against my grandfathers and grandmothers, and my grand- 

 fathers and grandmothers are warring against each other in 

 inc. Perhaps that was what Paul meant when he spoke 

 about that which was within ourselves. So I found that I 

 wanted to look a little further in the selection of seed corn, 



