REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS OF PLANTS. 343 



33 spikelets, each with two buds, required a week for 

 blossoming ; the first of the 66 flowers to open were 

 mostly those of the thirties and forties, and the last 

 those of the tens, fifties, and sixties, counting from the 

 base upward. These middle seeds had accordingly an 

 earlier start, and better chance for full development, 

 than those at the base and tip of the ear. 



Oat kernels usually grow in pairs, the upper one of 

 each pair being in general lighter and smaller than the 

 lower one. Nobbe counted out 200 upper kernels, 200 

 lower kernels, and 200 average kernels, without selection. 

 These were weighed, and, after soaking In water for 24 

 hours, were placed in a sprouting apparatus at a tem- 

 perature of about 70 F. The results were as follows : 



100 seeds Number of seeds that sprouted. 



weighed. On the Total in 



Grams. 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th days. 10 days. 

 Upper Kernels, 1.53 2 100 76 15 3 2 1 199 



Lower Kernels, 3.46 109 75 9 3 2 198 



Average Kernels, 2.69 45 110 30 8 4 1 1 199 



Here, as in case of wheat and barley, the light seeds 

 were slower to germinate. 



In general, it would appear that, other things being 

 equal, stronger and more perfect plants and larger 

 crops are produced from heavy than from small seeds. 

 Many comparisons are on record that have given such 

 results ; not only small trials in garden plats, but also 

 field experiments on a larger scale. 



Lehmann sowed, on each of three plats of 92 square 

 feet, the same number (528) of peas, of the same kind 

 but of different weight, with results as here tabulated 



Weights of 100 No. of Yield (grams). 



seed-peas, plants. Kernels. Pods. Straw. Total. 



Small seed-peas, 160 gm. 423 998 280 2010 3288 



Medium seed-peas, 221 " 478 1495 357 2630 4482 



Large seed-peas, 273 " 480 1814 437 3170 5421 



Of the peas sown, there failed to germinate about 9 



