170 



EXPERIMENT STATION. 



[Jan. 



Three interesting facts appear from this table : — 



1. The plants were markedly more variable in 1909 than in 

 1908. This appears in all characters, and there is hardly a 

 single exception to the rule. On the surface, it would seem 

 that the dry season and unfavorable conditions of 1908 decreased 

 the amount of variation, while the comparatively strong growth 

 of 1909 increased the amount of variation. 



2. The amount of variation is less and the fluctuations less 

 in the case of vine length than in pods per vine or peas per vine. 

 In other words, the vegetative characters seem to be more stable 

 than reproductive characters. 



3. There is a manifest (though not very strong) tendency to 

 transmit the quality of variability (or stability). In a number 

 of instances the strains which were most variable in 1908 were 

 the most variable in 1909, and those which were most stable one 

 year were most stable the next. Out of the 27 comparisons made 

 in the foregoing table, 11 show a decided correspondence, while 



